TlfeMTlRTYR  ISLE 
ERROM?^NG?[ 


t 


HJl.  ROBERTSON 


^''  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^5^ 


Purchased   by  the    Hamill    Missionary   Fund. 


BV  3680  .N59  R6  1902 
Robertson,  H.  A. 
Erromanga,  the  martyr  isle 


ERROMANGA 

THE  MARTYR  ISLE 


[Frontispiece. 


ERROMANGA 

THE    MARTYR    ISLE 


H.    A.     ROBERTSON 

ERROMANGA 


EDITED    BY 

JOHN  FRASER,  B.A.,  LL.D. 

SYDNEY,   AUTHOR    OF   "THE    ETRUSCANS;   WERE   THEV    CELTS?"    ETC. 


NEW  YORK 
A.     C.     ARMSTRONG     AND     SON 

3  AND  5  WEST  EIGHTEENTH  STREET 
LONDON:    HODDER  AND  STOUGIITON 


EDITOR'S   PREFACE 

My  share  in  this  work  is  a  small  one.  Many  of 
his  friends  both  here  and  in  Canada  had  frequently 
asked  Mr.  Robertson  to  write  a  history  of  Erro- 
manga,  but  the  daily  oversight  of  his  numerous 
flock  and  other  mission  work  on  the  island  leave 
him  little  time  for  literary  composition  ;  and  thus 
the  project  was  again  and  again  deferred.  At  last 
I  offered,  if  he  would  write  the  narrative,  to  do 
all  that  might  be  needed  in  the  way  of  making 
arrangements  for  publication.  And  so  the  manu- 
script was  commenced,  and  the  chapters,  one  by 
one  as  they  were  completed,  passed  into  my  hands. 
This  book  is  now  presented  to  the  reader  as  a 
record  of  nearly  thirty  years'  trial  and  persever- 
ance in  a  small  and  remote  portion  of  the  field  of 
missions. 

In  the  text  I  found  several  passages  that  re- 
quired explanation  ;  for,  however  easy  it  is  for 
those  who  are  familiar  with  the  islands  and  their 
customs  to  understand  what  is  meant  as  soon  as 
the  thing  is  named,  yet  readers  in  distant  lands 
may  fail  to  catch  the  full  meaning  unless   some 


vi  EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

words  are  thrown  in  for  the  sake  of  clearness.  For 
that  purpose,  I  have  occasionally  altered  the  text 
a  little,  and  wherever  something  more  was  needed 
I  have  added  notes  ;  some  words  and  expressions 
also  have  been  changed  throughout  the  chapters. 
With  these  exceptions  the  narrative  now  stands  as 
I  received  it. 

The  author  has  had  much  difficulty  in  getting 
information  about  Erromanga  as  it  was  previously 
to  the  year  1872,  and  especially  about  the  mar- 
tyred Gordons.  If  any  friends  in  Canada  or 
elsewhere  possess  letters  from  them,  he  would  be 
glad  to  have  these,  to  be  used  in  a  second  edition 
of  this  book,  if  it  should  be  required.  Also  he 
would  be  much  obliged  if  any  persons  in  the 
Australian  States  can  give  him  further  particu- 
lars about  the  sandal-wood  trade  and  the  early 
condition  of  Erromanga. 

The  illustrations  are  taken  from  photographs 
made  by  the  author  himself  and  one  or  two 
others  ;  and  the  maps  of  Erromanga  and  of  part 
of  Oceania  were  prepared  for  this  volume  by  two 
of  his  friends  as  love-gifts. 

Those  who  take  an  interest  in  natural  history 
will  value  the  appendix  on  the  floi'a  and  the 
physical  aspect  of  the  New  Hebrides,  which 
Dr.  Alexander  Morrison  has  kindly  written  for 
this  volume.  It  is  founded  on  a  personal  visit 
to  Erromanga  and  the  New  Hebrides. 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 


vn 


I  have  cheerfully  given  my  assistance  in  pre- 
paring this  volume  in  the  hope  that,  along  with 
the  Rev.  Dr.  John  G.  Paton's  Autobiography,  it 
may  help  to  show  how  much  untold  heroism  there 
often  is  in  the  conduct  of  Christian  missions, 
and  how  much  the  missionary  is  the  pioneer  of 
civilisation  and  trade. 

JOHN  FRASER. 

Maitland,  New  South  Wales. 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE 

From  the  time  we  visited  Canada  in  1883  until 
about  four  years  ago,  when  I  consented  to  under- 
take to  write  this  work,  many  of  my  friends  in 
Britain,  Canada,  the  United  States  and  Australasia 
had  urged  me  to  tell  the  Story  of  Erromanga. 
Feeling  my  missionary  duties  on  so  large  an 
island  almost  overwhelming  for  one  man,  I  could 
not  see  how  I  was  to  find  time  for  this  additional 
labour.  But  when  I  was  told  by  friends,  in  whose 
wisdom  and  strong  practical  common  sense  and 
sound  judgment  I  had  every  confidence,  that  it 
was  a  duty  I  owed  to  the  Churches  which  main- 
tain our  mission  on  the  New  Hebrides,  and  to  the 
Christian  wojld  at  large,  and  that  I  ought  to  set 
to  at  once,  for  life  was  uncertain,  and  that  my 
intimate  knowledge  of  Erromanga  and  its  people 
clearly  pointed  to  me  as  the  man  who  should  write 
the  narrative  :  when,  I  say,  it  was  put  to  me  as  a 
duty,  I  at  once  resolved  to  make  time  and  give 
every  spare  moment  to  this  heavy  undertaking. 
I  have  tried  throughout  to  make  my  narrative  a 
record  of  facts,  without  which  it  would  be  utterly 


X  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

useless  as  history  and  at  the  same  time  unsatis- 
factory to  the  general  reader,  but  especially  so  to 
friends  of  missions,  who  are  ever  anxious  to  have 
tidings  regarding  the  progress  of  God's  work  in 
all  lands. 

I  also  experienced  great  difficulty  in  gathering 
information  about  the  early  history  of  Erromanga, 
and  especially  so  about  the  sandal-wood  trade,  and 
in  fact  about  almost  everything  connected  with  the 
island  before  my  time.  With  two  or  three  excep- 
tions, I  got  no  help  from  the  many  persons  to 
whom  I  had  thus  written.  To  friends  who  kindly 
lent  books  and  to  those  who  replied,  giving  what 
information  they  could,  I  am  most  grateful. 

My  special  thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  J.  W.  Lindt, 
of  Melbourne  ;  Mr.  Thomas  Pratt,  agent  of  the 
L.M.S.  at  Sydney  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Gunn,  of  Aneityum, 
and  Rev.  J.  H.  Lawrie,  of  Sydney — for  supply- 
ing some  of  the  photographs  which  illustrate  this 
volume.  Dr.  A.  Morrison,  Government  Botanist 
of  Western  Australia,  has  also  obliged  me  by 
writing  a  general  account  of  the  physical  features 
of  the  New  Hebrides  for  the  Appendix. 

Those  who  may  review  or  criticise  my  book — 
and  it  is  a  poor  book  that  is  not  criticised — will,  I 
am  sure,  be  fair,  and  will  take  into  consideration 
the  great  difficulty  I  have  had  in  preparing  a  work 
of  this  kind. 

I  should  have  liked  to  write  much  more  fully 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE  xi 

than  I  have  done  about  the  manners  and  customs 
and  characteristics  of  the  natives  of  the  island,  but 
I  was  urged  to  push  on  with  the  work  as  there 
were  signs  of  impatience  for  its  appearance,  and  so 
I  have  been  led  to  make  my  narration  of  later 
events  somewhat  brief.  And  now  I  have  done 
my  part.  Whether  I  have  succeeded  or  not,  the 
public  must  judge.  It  has  claimed  much  time, 
much  toil,  but  these  have  been  cheerfully  given. 

H.  A.  ROBERTSON. 


Erromanga,  New  Hebrides, 
31^/  March,   1902. 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

PACB 

The  People  of  the  New  Hebrides — List  of  the  Islands — The  Vol- 
canoes— Erromanga  :  its  Distance  from  Sydney :  its  Coast- 
line :  its  Caves  :  its  Bays,  Mountains,  Divisions,  Name,  Rivers, 
Scenery — The  First  Visitor  to  Erromanga :  his  Experience 
narrated — Potnuma  Bay — Traitors'  Head — A  Poet's  Tribute   .         i 

CHAPTER  II. 

Sandal-wood  in  1839 — Dillon's  Bay  named — Dr.  George  Bennett, 
of  Sydney  —  The  Pearly  Nautilus  —  A  tiny  brown  Girl:  her 
History — Sandal-wood  as  Fuel — The  Barter  of  Sandal-wood; 
trade  Values — Tricks  in  the  Sandal-wood  Trade — "  Sandal- 
wood English" — The  Navilah — Trade  Atrocities — Captains 
Paddon,  Rodd,  Hastings — Profits  of  the  Trade — -Victims — 
Trade  in  Hogs — Trade  in  Sandal-wood — Navilah  for  In- 
cantations— Differences  of  Character  on  the  Islands — Sandal- 
wood and  continued  Fighting — Rangi  Toriki,  the  Sandal- 
wooder :   his  son  Owang,  our  Friend       .....       22 

CHAPTER  III. 

John  Williams- :  his  Life  and  Labours  :  his  Death  on  Erromanga's 
shore — Captain  Morgan's  Narrative  of  it — Mr.  Cunningham's 
Narrative — Explanations  by  present  Erromangans — Rev.  S. 
Ella's  Letter  about  Visits  to  Erromanga  from  1839  to  1857  ,       47 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Rev.  George  Nichol  Gordon  :  lands  with  his  Wife  on  Erromanga 
in  1857 — All  Alone — House-building — Why  do  the  Heathen 
ask  for  Missionaries? — Learning  the  Language — Teaching  the 
Boys — Discouragement,  Disease,  Death  around — Mr.  Gordon's 


xiv  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Personality — Correspondence — Visits  of  Friends — Mrs.  Gordon : 
her  feeble  Health — They  remove  to  the  Uplands — Epidemic 
of  Measles— Plot  to  Murder— Murdered,  both  of  them — 
Carried  by  the  Young  Men  to  Burial — Christian  Natives  flee 
to  Aneityum— Extracts  from  Rev.  Dr.  Gill's  journal — Bishop 
Patteson 64 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  First  Dayspring — I  wish  to  Travel — The  Dayspring  Sails 
with  me  on  board — Rev.  James  D.  Gordon's  last  look  of  his 
Native  Land — I  eat  a  Green  Banana — A  Pine-apple  Tree — 
Bread  Fruit — We  reach  the  Cape — At  Melbourne — I  see  Real 
Missionaries — Drs.  Geddie  and  Inglis — The  Children's  Ship 
at  Melbourne — Rev.  J.  P,  Sunderland  as  Showman — Captain 
Morgan— Lathella,  of  Aneityum— A  Situation  for  me— The 
Dayspring  arrives  in  Sydney — The  Farewell  Meeting — Rev. 
S.  Ella  and  Mrs.  Ella — I  see  Aneityum,  5th  June,  1864 — Umo 
recognises  Mr.  James  Gordon — An  Island  Banquet — The 
Cotton  Company — Rev.  John  Inglis — Arrival  of  the  Mail  Bag — 
The  Training  of  Teachers— Native  Leisure — Tropical  Growth 
and  Scenery — Aneityumese  Dress  and  Full-dress      ...      83 

CHAPTER  VL 

The  John  Williams  Wrecked  at  Niue — The  Little  Schooner  with 
a  Great  Name — The  Dayspring  rescued  from  Financial 
Trouble  by  Rev.  Dr.  Paton — Dr.  Geddie  and  Mrs.  Geddie 
return  to  Aneityum  with  fresh  Missionaries  from  Scotland — 
The  new  yohn  Williams  goes  on  the  Coral  Reef — Sandy's 
care  of  his  "  Claes  " — I  go  to  Sydney  for  a  time  in  a  Useful 
Capacity — The  Dayspring  and  the  yohn  Williams  return  to 
Aneityum — The  new  Missionaries  are  settled  —  The  yohn 
Williams  wrecked  again :  her  successors — Sunstroke  and  its 
Effects — Rev.  James  Gordon  visits  N.S.  Wales — A  Letter 
suddenly  changes  the  Course  of  my  Life — My  return  to  Nova 
Scotia  is  determined — How  much  a  Penny  can  Buy — The 
Assurance  of  a  Tyro — A  Simple  Mistake  and  its  Beautiful 
Consequences — Lathella's  Cattle  and  Lesson  in  the  Art  of 
Ploughing :  his  Effort  to  tr<iin  his  Cattle  and  the  issues  of 
it — Mother  and  Child — I  leave  Aneityum  for  Nova  Scotia — 
Study  and  Work 102 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  xv 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PAOB 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ella — Separation  of  Mother  and  Children — Diary  of 
Rev.  James  D.  Gordon's  Settlement  on  Erromanga — Mr. 
Copeland's  Notes — Joined  by  two  Missionaries  from  Scotland 
— Petticoats  wanted — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Macnair — Diphtheria  in 
1867 — Mr.  Macnair  visits  a  High  Chief — A  Sale  of  Land — 
Mr.  Macnair's  health  :  he  dies  suddenly — Mrs.  Macnair — Mr. 
Gordon  visits  Santo  :  his  own  Account  of  his  Work  on 
Erromanga — Two  Letters  to  Young  Friends  ....     124 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Santo  a  Promising  Field — Translation  of  the  Scriptures — Visitation 
— Potnuma  Bay  Station — Narrative  of  the  Murder  of  James 
D.  Gordon — Rev.  Dr.  J.  G.  Paton's  Latter— Yomot's  Story  of 
the  Murder        . 148 

CHAPTER  IX. 
My  Preparation  for  the  Mission  Field — Licensed  and  Ordained — 
Farewell  Meetings  in  Canada — We  reach  Liverpool  and  visit 
Glasgow,  Edinburgh,  etc. — Kindness  of  the  Scotch — Dr.  Duff 
—  Dr.  Norman  Macleod — Three  Missionaries  and  their  Wives 
leave  Liverpool  in  the  Great  Britain — Cabby's  Extortion  at 
the  Quay — A  Weather  Storm — An  Accident — Cutting  Adrift 
the  Old  Horse — Reach  Melbourne — Hot  Weather  and  Island 
Pork — The  Dayspring  carries  many  Black  Coats  from  Mel- 
bourne— We  reach  Aneityum — News  of  James  D.  Gordon's 
Murder — A  Novel  Wedding-cake — A  Tour  of  the  Islands — The 
Annual  Meeting  settles  us  on  Erromanga— An  Earthquake — 
We  reach  Erromanga — Our  Resolve 164 

CHAPTER  X. 
On  Erromanga  now  —  House  Cleaning  —  Our  Servants  —  The 
Women's  Dress — Friendly  Visitors — H.M.S.  Basilisk— An 
attempt  to  Murder — A  Stormy  Trip  to  Aniwa — A  Baby 
Missionary — House  Building — A  Tropical  Hurricane — Our 
House  is  down — Unexpected  Sympathy  and  Help  in  Re- 
building— Church  Work  on  Week-days — My  Wife's  serious 
illness  —  The  New  House  finished — A  House-warming  — 
Thieving — A  Tough  Meal — Cunning  Beggars — Wife  Capture 
— Evangelising  —  Teaching  —  A  Visitor  from  Canada  —  A 
Journey  to  Cook's  Bay — Hunger — I  settle  a  Teacher — James 
D.  Gordon's  Grave  visited  .        .         ,         .        .         .        .     i8q 


xvi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XI. 

PAOB 

The  History  of  a  Steam  Launch — Illness  and  Death  of  a  White 
Settler — We  take  a  necessary  Trip  to  Tanna  and  bring  back 
a  "  Tanna  Woman  " — Rev.  Dr.  Steel,  of  Sydney,  and  others 
visit  us — I  go  off  to  the  Synod ;  my  Repentance  and  Happy 
Return — The  Memorial  Church — Sickness  among  the  Native 
Christians — A  Woman  sees  a  Vision — Sufa's  Chief  asks  for  a 
Teacher — A  Christian  Girl  teaches  her  Heathen  Husband 
with  significant  Results — When  left  a  Widow,  she  becomes 
valuable  to  us — Goat-herds  and  Cow-herds — A  Native  Ex- 
ample of  Civilisation — A  Tidal-wave  and  Earthquake  ;  their 
Effects 221 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Extension  of  our  Mission  Work — "  Mr.  White  "  and  his  Fat  Pigs 
— Treachery  and  Plunder,  with  Murder — H.M.S.  Beagle — Our 
Gordon  born — How  a  Child  acts  as  "Boss" — The  Synod 
meets  at  Nguna — Eucharistia  :  a  Thanksgiving  Feast — The 
"  Dear  Old  Dayspring"  again — A  Houseful  of  Visitors — The 
Cannibal  land-sharks  miss  their  Prey — Vila  and  its  Mission 
Station — H.M.S.  Beagle  loses  a  Boat,  and  Captain  Caffin 
learns  how  strong  Fever  and  Ague  can  be — We  transfer  our 
Work  for  a  time  to  Cook's  Bay — A  Church  of  Grass  and  Reeds 
— Our  Dwelling — A  Native  Bed — Schoolwork  and  Odours — 
Our  New  House — Our  Helpers  in  House-building — A  Sunday 
Pudding  brought  by  the  Great  Chief — The  Wives  of  "  the 
Great  Netai  " — School-keeping  and  Sunday  Services — "  The 
Clothed  " — We  return  to  Dillon's  Bay 239 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Missionary  Visits  to  various  parts  of  the  Island — A  Wall  put  round 
Mr.  Gordon's  Grave — Torch-bearing — A  sharp  adze  Cuts — A 
Native  becomes  Crazy  :  he  kills  the  Devil  and  does  some 
other  wonderful  Things — Poor  Old  Lifu  and  his  Troubles — 
A  long  pull-out  to  the  Dayspring — Captain  Braithwaite's 
kindness — A  Sample  of  Native  Etiquette — A  Fowl  plucked 
alive — About  Umo,  a  Native  Teacher — A  "  Black-birding" 
Craft  and  its  Work — A  Murder  investigated  by  the  Ad- 
miralty                 I         .         .         ,         .     260 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  xvii 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

PAGB 

The  Year  1877 — A  Great  Hurricane  and  its  Consequences — A 
Dress-coat  saves  a  Chief — A  Bread-fruit  Tree  saves  Navuso 
— The  Graves  of  the  Martyrs — The  Dayspring  arrives — '^"le 
Captain  and  his  Wife — A  Chief  tries  to  bribe  the  Captain  to 
live  on  shore — I  Visit  the  Coast  Stations  on  the  Island  in  the 
Dayspring — How  to  use  a  Mirror  aright — A  Day  of  Earth- 
quakes— A  Visit  to  a  sick  Chief — How  we  pay  for  our  Re- 
freshments and  are  afterwards  "  in  clover  "  at  a  Chiefs  House 
— A  Chief  who  had  never  seen  a  White  Man  :  he  runs  away 
in  Fright  when  he  sees  me — A  Native's  wages  for  Seven 
Years'  Work  in  Fiji  :  his  Wife — Watata's  Character  and 
Wants — I  take  to  Match-making — Watata  is  at  last  Wedded 
— A  Lad's  Devotedness      ••......     281 


CHAPTER  XV, 

Ohai,  a  faithful  Servant :  her  boy  is  taken  to  England :  Captain 
Caffin's  kindness  to  him :  his  Life  and  Death ;  her  little 
girl  Tia — In  December,  1877,  we  visit  Sydney — Mr.  and  Mrs. 
James  Anderson — Yomot  takes  a  run  to  Sydney  and  is 
frightened  on  the  Way — "  Not  Dirty,  only  Black  " — An 
attempt  at  Assassination — Yomot's  Bravery — The  Plot  does 
not  succeed — Sentries  asleep    ....#••    304 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Meeting  of  Synod  in  1879 — Resolution  as  to  Church  Member- 
ship— Mr.  Michelsen  to  be  settled  on  Tongoa — The  "  Mar- 
tyrs' Memorial  Church  " — The  Attire  of  Worshippers — School 
Work — A  Diligent  Scribe  :  his  History  of  the  Erromangan 
Mission,  with  a  Postscript — Yomot  and  Atnelo — A  Wedding 
which  Missed  Fire — Too  much  vigour  in  ringing  the  Church 
Bell — A  novel  Wedding-dress — Match-making — Port  Narevin 
— A  Snake  on  the  Rafters — We  return  to  Dillon's  Bay — 
Death  of  Soso  in  1880 — Many  Baptisms  at  Cook's  Bay  Station  : 
a  Deep  Plot  to  prevent  Them — Affectionate  Nurses — A  Sacred 
Service  at  Dillon's  Bay  in  1882 — Influenza — Settlement  of 
Rev.  R.  M.  Eraser  on  Epi — We  leave  on  a  visit  to  Canada — 
How  to  say  "  Good-bye  " 319 


xviii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

PAOB 

Yomot,  the  faithful  Friend  and  devoted  Christian     .        .        •        .    350 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Physical  and  Moral  Character  of  the  Natives — Costume  and 
Ornaments — How  Cloth  is  prepared  :  and  Dress — Women  are 
tatooed — The  Weapons  of  the  Men — Bow  and  Arrow,  Clubs, 
Axes,  Spears — Canoes — Huts— The  Cooking-house — Dwellings 
— Food  Plants— Fruit  Trees— Meals  and  Dishes— Birds— The 
man  who  knew  a  Peacock — Moral  Character — Gratitude — 
Obedience — Respectfulness — Conservatism  in  Customs — Order 
— Lying — Exaggeration — Native  Tales — How  to  pay  Wages 
— Honesty 362 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Nobii,  the  Creator-god — Offerings  to  the  Spirits  of  Ancestors— 
Navilah  or  Sacred  Stones — The  Nisekar  or  Heathen  Feast 
— Chiefs — Tribal  Wars — Cannibalism — The  "  Kava  "  Drink 
— The  Naming  of  a  Child — Young  Girls  betrothed — An  Old 
Maid — The  Wives  of  Chiefs — Death  and  Burial — Widows — 
Burial — Witchcraft — Wind-,  Rain-,  Storm-,  Drought-,  Thunder- 
makers —  Doctors  —  Medicine  —  Examples  of  Hyperbole  — 
Relationship 389 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Visit  to  Canada — How  to  pay  for  Cabs,  etc. — Our  homes  re- 
visited— A  Tour  of  Meetings  and  Address — Donations  for  the 
Mission — The  Gordon  Family — The  Bishop  of  Erromanga  at 
Longfellow's  House — The  Ice  Palace — We  return  to  Australia 
and  Erromanga — A  Warm  Welcome  back — Robertson's  Road 
— Arrowroot ;  how  to  Prepare  it  and  to  Sell  it — A  Marriage 
Fee — Population  and  the  Labour  Traffic — Arrival  of  New 
Missionaries  :  their  Settlement — Wreck  of  the  Cairndhu — Plot 
to  destroy  our  Mission — The  Mission  Service  by  Steamer  from 
Sydney  —  Trade  of  the  New  Hebrides  —  The  Melanesian 
Mission's  labours  in  the  Northern  Islands — '^'onclusion  .         .     405 

Notes 435 

Appendix  .... .    449 


19 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Rev.  H.  A.  Robertson  of  Erromanga.     Photographed  by  Mr. 

Henry  King,  artist,  Sydney,  in  1894  ....        Frontispiec» 

PAGE 

Map  of  the  South-West  Pacific,  prepared  by  a  friend  of  the  Author         i 
The  valley  of  Williams'  River  and  Dillon's  Bay  (from  the  heights). 

Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn 

A  fishing  pool  on  Williams'  River.     Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn      . 
"Cook's  Landing,"  on  the  East  Coast — "Traitors'  Head"  in  the^i 

distance.      Photographed   by    Rev.    William   Gunn,   M.D.,  of 

Aneityum  ........... 

Williams'  River  and  valley  walk,  Dillon's  Bay— The  site  of  the  old 

Sandal-wood  Station.      Photographed  by  J.  W.  Lindt,  artist, 

Melbourne 

Rev.  John  Williams .j 

Rev.  George  Nichol  Gordon  and  Mrs.  Gordon.     (From  an  old  photo- 
graph)          64 

Uhuvili  (who  murdered  G.  N.  Gordon)  and  his  child.     Photographed"! 

by  Dr.  Gunn       ••••......  I 

Numpunavos,  an  Erromangan  girl.     Her  name  means  "  beautiful  j     ^'^ 

head".     Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn J 

Rev.  James  Macnair.     (From  an  old  photograph)     .         .         .         .^ 
Rev.  James  Douglas  Gordon.     (From  an  old  photograph)         .         .]  ^^^ 
Mrs.  Robertson.     Photographed  by  H.  King,  artist,  Sydney,  in  1894     164 
The  Mission  House  at  Dillon's  Bay.     Photographed  by  Rev.  H.  A. 

Robertson  ........... 

Lalim  Nimpu — a  Christian  Erromangan ;  a  helper  at  the  Mission 

House.     Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn I 

An  Erromangan  belle  in  heathen  dress.     Photographed  by  H.  A.  {^^^ 

Robertson I 


207 


XX  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGB 

"The   Steps" — the   southern    point  of  Dillon's   Bay.     (From  the' 

garden  of  the   Mission   House.)      Photographed    by   Mr.    S. 

Sinclair,  Australian  Museum,  Sydney       .         .         .         .         .\-  285 
Williams'  River  below  the  "Rapids".      Photographed  by  J.  W. 

Lindt  ............ 

The  School  House  and  sintan-lo  at  Arawau  on  the  East  Coast,  "j 

Photographed  by  S.  Sinclair       .......  |-295 

Yomot,  Usuo  and  other  teachers.     Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn         .) 
The  Mission  House  and  the  Church,  Dillon's  Bay  (from  the  river). 

Photographed  by  J.  W.  Lindt    .......     304 

The  Mission  House  at  Dillon's  Bay  (side  view).     Photographed  hy\ 

H.  A.  Robertson J-  325 

The  Martyrs'  Memorial  Church.     Photographed  by  S.  Sinclair         .} 
Three  sons  of  Auwi-auwi  who  murdered  John  Williams.     One  ot" 

these,  Usuo,  the  chief  of  Dillon's  Bay,  laid  the  foundation-stone 

of  the  Martyrs'  Memorial  Church.      Photographed  by  Rev.  Dr. )-  345 

Gunn 

Yomot  and  Navusia,  his  wife.     Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn     . 
Owang,  son  of  Rangi,  as  driver  of  the  Mission's  horse  and  cart.^j 

Photographed  by  Dr.  Gunn I 

••  South  River  "  in  the  Unepang  district.     Photographed  by  H.  A.  j 

Robertson  . J 

Map  of  Erromanga 4^g 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP. 

Erromanga  is  one  of  the  larger  islands  of  the  group 
to  which  the  great  English  navigator  of  the  eighteenth 
century  gave  the  name  of  the  New  Hebrides.  He  ob- 
served that,  in  their  position  on  the  other  side  of  the 
globe,  they  correspond  with  the  Old  Hebrides  ;  for  they 
are  about  as  far  west  of  the  meridian  circle  of  Greenwich 
in  the  Southern  Seas  as  the  Hebrides  are  in  the  map  of 
Britain  ;  and,  like  them,  this  group  forms  a  chain  running 
nearly  north  and  south,  with  the  largest  islands  at  the 
top.  The  most  southerly  of  all  is  the  small  island  of 
Aneityum  ;  to  the  north-west  of  that  is  Tanna,  with  its 
ever-active  volcano,  and  almost  an  equal  distance  to  the 
north-west  of  Tanna  is  Erromanga.  Not  far  to  the 
east  of  Tanna  are  two  small  islands,  Futuna  and  Ani'wa, 
with  a  people  mostly  of  brown  Polynesian  descent.  To 
the  north-west  of  Erromanga  is  Efate  or  Fate,  its  native 
name,  but  called  Sandwich  Island  by  its  discoverer.  The 
population  of  this  island  is  mixed  with  a  strain  of  brown 
Polynesians  which  is  specially  noticeable  at  Fila  Harbour 
on  the  west  coast.  With  the  exceptions  just  named,  all 
the  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides  are  occupied  by 
Melanesians,  that  is,  by  black  men  who  are  ultimately 
of  the  same  race  as  the  Fijians,  the  Papuans  of  New 
Guinea,  and,  with  these,  the  Austi'alians.  Although  the 
people  of  the  New  Hebrides  are  all  of  the  same  origin, 

I 


2  ERROMANGA 

yet  it  is  evident  that  two  separate  streams  of  immi.rjrants 
must  have  come  there  at  a  very  remote  period  ;  for  the 
population  of  the  three  southern  islands — Erromanga, 
Tanna  and  Aneityum — differs  materially  from  that  of 
the  islands  to  the  north  of  Efate  ;  the  men  are  much 
fiercer  on  the  southern  islands  ;  the  women  here  wear 
long  petticoats  of  leaves,  while  the  men  go  about  almost 
without  clothing ;  whereas,  in  the  north,  it  is  quite  the 
reverse  in  the  matter  of  dress.  On  the  southern  islands 
the  canoes  are  small  and  rudely  made  from  trunks  of 
trees,  fit  to  hold  three  or  four  men  ;  but  on  Malekiila,  in 
the  north,  there  are  huge  war  canoes  carrying  fifty  men. 
On  Malekula  also  there  is  something  like  the  Indian  law 
of  caste,  but  more  akin  to  an  artificial  grading  of  society, 
through  initiation  ceremonies,  such  as  prevails  in  the 
islands  to  the  north  of  the  New  Hebrides.  But  there 
is  nothing  of  that  kind  on  Erromanga  or  Tanna  or 
Aneityum.  On  the  last  of  these  three,  there  is  only  one 
language,  for  the  island  is  small,  but  on  each  of  the  other 
two  there  are  several.  The  larger  islands  to  the  north 
have  a  multitude  of  languages  also — which  seems  to  be 
everywhere  a  heritage  of  the  race  of  Ham — but  the 
islands  in  the  middle  of  the  group  have  the  same 
language  with  slight  varieties  of  dialect.  Besides  these, 
there  are  many  other  reasons  which  would  lead  one  to 
believe  that  the  people  of  the  three  southern  islands  are 
the  pure  descendants  of  the  earliest  occupants  of  the 
whole  group,  just  as  the  Tasmanians  are  probably  the 
representatives  of  the  first  population  of  Australia,  driven 
southwards  by  those  who  came  in  at  a  later  time.  The 
northern  New  Hebrides  would  thus  be  a  mingling  of 
their  first  inhabitants  with  a  later  people  of  the  same 
race  who  came  to  join  them  there ;  to  this  mixture 
the  middle  islands,  Efate,  Nguna,  Mae  and  Tongoa^ 
also  belong,  but  these  seem  to  have  got,  at  some  time, 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  3 

a  considerable  infusion  from  the  brown  Polynesian 
stock. 

There  are  in  all  the  group  about  thirty  inhabited 
islands,  varying  greatly  in  size.  The  largest,  which  is 
also  the  most  northerly,  is  Santo  ;  it  is  not  yet  fully 
known  to  us,  but  it  is  said  to  be  seventy  miles  in  length 
and  forty  in  breadth.  St.  Philip's  Bay,  on  the  north 
coast,  is  very  large  and  extensive,  having  a  shore  line  of 
about  sixty  miles.  Captain  Cook  described  it  as  "  of 
unfathomable  depth,  except  near  the  shores,  which  are 
for  the  most  part  low  ".  The  north-east  point  he  named 
Cape  Quiros  after  its  first  discoverer,  and  the  north-west 
point  he  called  Cape  Cumberland.  The  port  of  Vera 
Cruz  is  at  the  head  of  this  bay,  and  near  by  is  the  river 
Jordan.  On  the  west  and  in  the  interior,  the  land  rises 
to  a  height  of  two  or  three  thousand  feet.  Santo  Peak, 
in  the  south,  is  5,520  ft.  above  the  sea  level.  The 
estimated  population  of  the  island  is  12,000. 

Malekula,  to  the  south-east,  is  next  in  size,  being 
seventy  miles  in  length  by  twenty-five  in  breadth.  The 
narrowest  breadth  is  about  six  miles.  The  highest  eleva- 
tion is  Mount  Penot,  2,925  ft.,  in  the  centre  of  the 
island.  Here  there  are  no  large  rivers,  but  several  streams 
of  fair  size.  This  island  possesses  some  good  harbours 
and  bays,  especially  a  fine  land-locked  bay  called  Port 
Sandwich  on  the  south-east.  Port  Stanley  on  t"he  north- 
east is  also  well  sheltered.  The  estimated  population 
of  Malekula  is  from  15,000  to  20,000. 

Aurora  and  Pentecost  are,  both  of  them,  islands  of 
considerable  size,  as  are  also  Ambrim,  Epi  and  Efat6. 
Ambrim  has  a  circumference  of  sixty  miles ;  its  highest 
peak  is  that  of  its  volcano  in  the  centre  of  the  island,  and 
is  about  3,500  ft.  in  height.  Early  visitors  to  Ambrim 
seem  to  have  been  struck  with  its  beauty  and  fertility. 
It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  "  sea  of  islands,"  and  that  lends 


4  ERROMANGA 

to  it  a  decided  charm.  Here  is  an  extract  from  Dr.  W. 
Wyatt  Gill's  Journal  of  1862:  "On  30th  October,  we 
were  off  Ambrim,  gazing  at  its  magnificent  volcano. 
The  ocean  was  as  smooth  as  a  lagoon,  and  well  it  might 
be,  for  on  every  side  we  saw  large  and  lofty  islands  rising 
out  of  the  sea.  How  utterly  insignificant  many  of  the 
islands  of  Eastern  Polynesia  appear  in  comparison  with 
such  as  these  !  " 

Epi  is  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  miles  in  length,  and 
has  a  breadth  of  twelve  miles.  Its  highest  peak  is  about 
2,700  ft.  above  sea  level.  There  are  no  rivers  here. 
Its  estimated  population  is  2,600,  and  Paama  and  Lopevi 
— two  small  islands  lying  to  the  north  of  Epi — are  said 
to  have  2,000  inhabitants. 

The  circumference  of  Efate,  or  Sandwich  Island  as  it  is 
often  «alled,  is  close  on  seventy-five  miles.  This  island 
possesses  two  of  the  finest  harbours  in  the  group,  called 
Fila  (or  Vila)  Harbour  and  Havannah  Harbour.  Fila  is 
the  commercial  centre  of  the  New  Hebrides,  and  numbers 
of  English  and  French  settlers  reside  at  this  port 
Havannah  Harbour,  some  miles  to  the  north  of  Fila,  is 
a  large  and  very  deep  sheet  of  water.  It  was  visited  in 
1849  by  Captain  (now  Vice-Admiral)  Erskine  in  H.M.S. 
Havannah,  and  named  by  him  after  his  ship. 

Malo,  or  St.  Bartholomew's  Isle,  to  the  south  of  Santo, 
is  thirty-two  miles  in  circumference,  and  its  greatest 
height  is  1,280  ft.     The  estimated  population  is  1,000, 

The  island  of  Erromanga,  whose  northernmost  point  is 
at  least  sixty  miles  from  the  south  coast  of  Efate,  lies 
between  18°  35'  and  19°  south  latitude,  and  in  east 
longitude  between  168°  55'  and  169°  16'.  Its  greatest 
length  is  about  thirty-five  miles,  and  its  greatest  breadth 
twenty-five  miles.  Traitor's  Head,  its  loftiest  elevation, 
is  2,700  ft. 

Tanna,  lying  to  the  south  of  it,  has  a  circumference 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  5 

of  about  forty-five  miles,  its  greatest  length  being 
eighteen  miles.  Its  chief  peak,  Mount  Merren,  is  be- 
tween 4,000  and  5,000  ft.  high.  The  soil  on  Tanna  is 
extremely  fertile,  and,  besides  its  active  volcano,  it  has 
numerous  hot  springs  rising  up  along  the  shores. 

Aneityum,  the  most  southerly  island,  has  a  length  of 
eleven  miles  and  a  breadth  of  eight.  Its  greatest  height 
is  2,788  ft.,  and  its  present  population  is  527. 

Futiina  has  an  area  of  four  square  miles,  its  length 
and  breadth  being  about  equal.  The  population  at  last 
census  was  320. 

Aniwa,  lying  to  the  north-east  of  Tanna,  is  ten  miles 
in  circumference.     Its  present  population  is  160. 

Tongoa,  the  largest  of  the  Shepherd  Isles,  which  are 
in  the  centre  of  the  group  between  Epi  and  Efate  has 
a  circumference  of  eight  miles,  and  rises  to  a  height  of 
1,800  ft 

Nguna,  close  to  the  north  side  of  Efate,  is  six  miles  in 
length  and  four  in  breadth. 

Numerous  small  though  fertile  islands  He  like  dots 
everywhere,  especially  in  the  centre  and  northern  parts 
of  the  group.  The  panorama  of  these  fair  islets,  many 
of  which  can  be  seen  together  from  one  spot,  forms  a 
glorious  sight. 

The  New  Hebrides  Islands  make  a  link  in  the  great 
volcanic  chain  of  the  Pacific  which  stretches  along  the 
western  coasts  of  North  and  South  America,  takes  in 
the  Aleutian  Islands  and  Japan,  thence  south  to  the 
Philippine  group.  New  Guinea  and  the  Solomon  Isles, 
from  that  group  to  the  New  Hebrides,  and  on  to  New 
Zealand. 

There  are  now  in  these  islands  three  active  volcanoes 
— those  of  Ambrim,  Lopevi  and  Tanna.  In  1897,  a 
submarine  volcano  broke  out  near  the  north  coast  of 


6  ERROMANGA 

Tongoa  at  a  place  marked  on  the  charts  as  Laika  Bank, 
which  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  mainland. 
It  had  great  force  at  first,  and  for  a  time  the  eruptions 
were  very  frequent ;  its  power,  however,  soon  decreased 
considerably.  A  submarine  volcano  also  showed  itself 
twenty  years  ago  between  Traitor's  Head,  Erromanga, 
and  a  small  island  some  miles  from  the  coast ;  it  has 
been  dormant  ever  since.  Here  the  only  evidence  that 
there  was  any  eruption  is  now  the  sudden  shoaling  at 
that  particular  spot,  all  the  water  around  being  very 
deep. 

In  March,  1902,  the  young  volcano  at  Tongoa  was 
again  eruptive,  right  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  at  a  point 
farther  to  the  south-east. 

In  1894,  a  violent  eruption  took  place  on  Ambrim. 
It  did  a  vast  amount  of  damage,  and  even  yet  one  can 
plainly  see  the  track  that  the  burning  lava  took  on  its 
way  to  the  coast ;  and  when  it  poured  into  the  open  sea 
an  enormous  column  of  smoke  and  water,  several 
hundred  feet  in  height,  was  forced  up  into  the  air. 

Lopevi  Island  is  a  volcanic  cone,  rising  to  the  height 
of  5,000  ft.  The  eruption  of  3rd  June,  1898,  threatened 
at  first  to  have  very  serious  effects.  This  volcano  had 
been  dormant  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  but  then, 
on  that  day,  with  terrific  roars,  it  sent  up  huge  volumes 
of  dust  and  lava.  The  dust  was  carried  in  the  air  to  a 
great  distance,  even  as  far  as  to  Erromanga,  one  hundred 
and  forty  miles  away,  where  we  got  it  about  eight 
o'clock  on  the  Friday  evening  of  that  week.  Then 
the  wind,  which  had  been  strong  all  day,  increased  to  a 
gale  here,  and  suddenly  there  came  with  the  gale  a 
thick  shower  of  volcanic  dust,  which  we  thought  to  blow 
from  Tarma,  close  by,  though  we  had  never  known  it 
do  so  before.  In  a  few  minutes  it  completely  covered 
the  floors  of  every  room  in  our  house,  every  table  and 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  7 

shelf.  It  penetrated  through  the  joinings  of  the  closely 
fitting  corrugated  iron  roof;  through  windows,  doors 
and  every  possible  cranny.  Books,  dishes,  and  drawers 
containing  clothes  and  other  things,  were  all  lined  with 
a  covering  of  fine  dark-brown  dust.  In  attempting  to 
look  outside,  we  could  not  bear  the  onset  of  the  sharp, 
annoying,  sand-like  ashes  which  filled  our  eyes,  and 
we  were  glad  to  get  into  the  house  again.  By  nine 
o'clock,  our  coral  walks  were  black  instead  of  white, 
and  this  novel  rain  continued  to  fall  till  midnight. 
What  a  state  our  house  was  in!  The  dust  was  so  fine 
that  it  seemed  to  sift  through  everything,  and  it  was 
many  days  till  we  got  quite  clear  of  it.  We  soon  heard 
that  Lopevi,  and  not  Tanna,  was  responsible  for  the 
trouble.  On  Tongoa,  about  forty  miles  to  the  south 
of  it,  the  dust  fell  all  the  afternoon ;  the  air  was  black 
with  it,  and  the  natives  were  terror-stricken.  Mr.  Smaill, 
the  missionary  of  North  Epi  and  its  surrounding  islets, 
told  us  that  the  Lopevi  movement  had  "  gradually  sub- 
sided and  become  fairly  quiet  though  signs  of  activity 
are  seldom  long  absent ". 

The  crater  of  the  Tanna  volcano  is  not  more  than 
600  ft.  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  Pacific,  is  always  active,  and  is  one  of  the 
sights,  or  perhaps  the  sight,  of  these  islands.  The  late 
Rev.  Dr.  Steel,  of  Sydney,  spoke  of  it  as  the  "  great 
lighthouse  of  the  southern  isles,  which  every  three  or 
four  minutes  bursts  forth  with  greater  brilliancy,  like  a 
revolving  light ".  I  have  had  a  good  many  oppor- 
tunities of  visiting  it — about  six  or  seven  times  in  all ; 
each  time  it  wore  a  different  aspect ;  it  is  always  grand 
and  awe-inspiring,  and  can  never  become  "  an  old  affair  ". 
On  one  occasion  I  remember  seeing  the  molten  lava 
thrown  up  to  a  great  height  in  the  air  eind  playing 
around  like  a  magnificent  fountain. 


8  ERROMANGA 

Like  the  other  southern  islands,  Erromanga  has  not 
as  yet  been  thoroughly  surveyed,  but  after  my  many 
journeys  round  the  coast,  by  sea  and  land,  I  estimate, 
by  as  correct  means  as  lies  in  my  power,  that  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  island  is  about  lOO  miles.  I  notice 
that  my  predecessor,  the  Rev.  James  D.  Gordon,  who 
made  careful  notes  of  distances  from  point  to  point, 
gave  104  miles  as  the  result  of  his  calculations.  The 
distance  of  the  island  from  Sydney,  N.  S.  Wales,  is  as 
follows: — "By  Great  Circle  track  (from  Darling  Har- 
bour in  Sydney)  to  a  position  off  the  Isle  of  Pines 
and  thence  to  Dillon's  Bay,  Erromanga,  is  1,325  nautical 
miles  ". 

Erromanga's  rugged  coast-line  contains  numbers  of 
large  caves  which  were  often,  in  the  dark  days  of 
heathenism,  used  for  shelter  by  people  who  had  been 
vanquished  in  war  and  were  escaping  from  their  pur- 
suers. These  great  caverns  were  sometimes  strongly 
fortified,  and,  entrenched  in  them,  the  wretched  fugitives 
would  drag  out  weary  weeks  of  existence,  managing  to 
keep  themselves  alive  by  eating  wild  roots  and  leaves, 
which  could  only  be  searched  for  under  the  cover  of 
night. 

Erromanga  has  no  harbours,  but  in  several  of  its 
bays  good  anchorage  is  to  be  found.  Dillon's  Bay, 
opening  to  the  north-west,  is  the  chief.  It  is,  and  has 
been  for  over  forty  years,  the  principal  mission  station 
on  the  island ;  for  well-nigh  seventy  years  it  was  the 
great  sandal-wood  port,  and  also,  alas!  the  scene  of 
many  a  ghastly  tragedy.  Elizabeth  Bay  is  about  ten 
miles  north  of  Dillon's  Bay.  Portinia  Bay  and  Cook's 
Bay  are  on  the  east  side,  the  former  opening  to  the 
north-east,  the  latter  directly  east 

The  mountains,  especially  in  the  interior,  where  they 
are  not  visible  from  the  coast,  rise  to  a  considerable 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  9 

height — those  nearer  the  sea  being,  as  a  rule,  not  more 
than  1,000  ft.  above  its  level.  The  large  Sovu  Range 
stretches  across  the  northern  part  of  the  island,  another 
range,  with  the  peaks  of  Ungin,  Uvetumungkum  and 
Ulongkisiori,  lying  in  the  south.  These  two  chains  of 
mountains  are  very  distinctly  noticed  by  navigators  on 
approaching  the  island,  and  can  be  seen  from  a  great 
distance,  though  their  highest  peaks  are  not  more  than 
2,400  ft. 

In  the  Ifwa  district,  on  the  very  south  of  Erromanga, 
there  is  a  high  mountain  called  by  the  natives  Itete- 
winom,  "  the  extinguished  fire,"  because,  in  the  past, 
whenever  they  went  off  to  visit  Aniwa,  a  fire  was  kindled 
on  the  summit  of  that  mountain  as  a  signal  to  the  Ani- 
wans  of  the  visit ;  they,  in  turn,  lit  a  fire  on  the  highest 
peak  of  their  island,  which  was  put  out  when  the  visitors 
arrived  safely  in  their  canoes.  The  same  signalling  took 
place  when  they  returned  or  when  Aniwans  proposed  to 
visit  Erromanga.  Should  some  mishap  occur  to  cause 
delay  in  arrival,  the  fires  were  kept  burning  for  days 
and  even  weeks,  until,  when  there  was  no  hope  for  the 
missing  canoes,  the  fires  were  tossed  down  the  sides  of 
the  mountain  and  thus  "  extinguished  "  ;  hence  the  name. 

The  peak  of  Nilpon-u-moap  rises  near  Cook's  Bay, 
in  the  east  of  Erromanga ;  the  name  of  the  place  means 
'red  clay"  {nilpon,  'place,'  vioap^  'red  clay').  From 
this  mountain  great  quantities  of  the  clay  were  dug,  the 
people  using  it  largely  at  their  heathen  feasts,  when  they 
smeared  their  faces  and  bodies  in  all  the  available  colours 
of  the  rainbow.  The  Tannese  and  Aniwans  bought 
large  supplies  of  "  moap,"  taking  it  away  in  their  canoes 
and  giving  the  Erromangans  pigs,  white  shells  (which 
were  greatly  valued),  and  other  articles  in  exchange. 

As  far  as  I  can  gather  from  the  natives,  they  had  at 


lO  ERROMANGA 

one  time  no  special  name  for  the  whole  of  this  island, 
though  it  was  divided  into  numerous  distinctive  dis- 
tricts. A  tradition  is  that,  many  years  ago,  a  fan-Id,  or 
great  chief,  called  his  people  round  him,  and  said :  "  Let 
us  name  our  land ;  we  know  it  only  as  a  mountain  of 
many  divisions  and  many  names.  Let  the  whole  country 
that  embraces  the  districts  of  Numpun  ^-Norowo,  Ra- 
Loves  and  Numpun  ^-Neraipau  be  called  '  Uviliau ' ; 
while  the  land  that  faces  the  setting  sun  will  bear  from 
this  time  the  name  of  Ilungos."  His  word  was  accepted, 
and  the  whole  island  was  then  known  by  the  two  names 
— Uviliau,  the  eastern,  and  Ilungos,  the  western  shire. 
The  latter  contains  three  divisions — Il-Efate,  in  the 
north  and  facing  the  island  of  Efate  ;  Lo-itnateman,^ 
in  the  west ;  and,  south  of  that,  the  large  and  populous 
district  of  Unepang. 

The  name  "  Erromanga "  came  from  the  Tannese, 
who  had  supplied  Captain  Cook  with  the  names  of 
all  the  southern  islands,  and  since  that  time  only  have 
our  people  known  their  own  island  under  that  designa- 
tion. The  word,  therefore,  has  no  special  meaning  to 
them,  and  cannot  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  their 
language. 

There  is  a  very  marked  difference  between  the  physical 
appearance  of  the  east  and  west  sections  of  the  island. 
The  former  is  more  like  the  other  islands  of  the  group, 
the  mountains  and  large  level  tracts  of  land  being 
covered  with  dense  vegetation  right  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  the  soil  being  extremely  fertile.  On  the  west 
are  to  be  seen  thousands  of  acres  of  open  country,  afford- 
ing splendid  pasturage,  and  a  grand  chain  of  hills,  some 
of  them  rising  to  a  height  of  over  2,000  ft  and  stretching 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.     The  soil  on  this  side  is, 

1  Throughout  this  volume,  the  '  superior '  numbers  refer  to  the  notea 
farther  on,  which  are  arranged  to  correspond  with  the  chapters. 


A  POOL   ON   WILLIAMS'    RIVER. 


[Paf/e  n. 


WILLIAMS'   RIVER   AT  DILLON'S  BAY. 

(from    the    llEKiUTS.) 


[Page  11. 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  ii 

however,  very  poor,  for  cocoanuts  and  other  fruits  can 
scarcely  grow,  but  it  has  many  advantages  in  other 
respects. 

The  island  is  well  watered ;  for  numerous  streams, 
having  their  source  in  the  inland  mountain  ranges,  join 
larger  streams  and  rivers,  and  flow  through  miles  of 
valleys  on  their  way  to  the  open  sea.  The  largest  are 
Wilhams's  River,  flowing  into  Dillon's  Bay;  Cook's 
River,  which  empties  itself  into  the  bay  of  the  same 
name ;  and  South  River — a  beautiful  stream  which 
winds  through  the  great  Unepang  district,  gliding 
like  a  silver  serpent  between  the  heights  of  the  Um- 
panyampong  mountains.  Cook's  River  is  the  largest 
and  most  navigable  of  the  three,  and  boats  can  proceed 
upwards  several  miles  from  its  mouth.  By  this  route  the 
traders  were  able,  many  years  ago,  to  carry  great  loads 
of  sandal-wood  from  the  forests  to  the  bay. 

Williams's  River  rises  in  the  Toure  Hills,  about  twelve 
miles  inland  to  the  east  of  Dillon's  Bay,  and  flows 
through  many  fair  valleys  between  great  grass-covered 
mountains,  in  some  places  with  a  ghding,  silent,  tortuous 
motion,  in  others  bounding  over  huge  crags  and  boulders. 
With  a  roaring,  seething  sound,  as  it  rushes  white  and 
glistening  over  its  rocky  bed,  it  forms  the  "  rapids  "  at 
Umpon-soli  and  Undam,  and  there  enters  the  great 
gorge  of  Dillon's  Bay.  Here  the  land  presents  a 
peculiar  and  striking  appearance,  as  if  torn  asunder  by 
a  mighty  force ;  for  hills  and  enormous  rocks  arise 
abruptly  from  either  side  of  the  water. 

Williams's  River  is  not  navigable  for  more  than  a  mile 
from  the  bay;  its  waters  are  clear  and  good,  and  ships 
are  able  at  all  times  to  get  a  plentiful  supply.  It  is 
remarkable  that,  on  so  comparatively  small  an  island, 
this  river  should  attain  such  great  force  in  times  of  heavy 
rain.     At  such  periods  it  increases  in  size  prodigiously, 


12  ERROMANGA 

and,  as  it  flows  red  and  muddy  through  the  valley,  it 
covers  tracts  of  land  which  are  ordinarily  dry.  Then 
nothing  can  withstand  its  force ;  great  trees,  rocks, 
boulders,  and  even  houses  are  caught  in  its  mad  torrent 
and  literally  rushed  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
where  the  sea  in  its  turn  meets  this  mass  of  debris  and 
banks  it  up  on  the  shores  of  the  bay. 

The  beaches  of  Dillon's  Bay  are  covered  with  gravel, 
great  stones  and  boulders  of  trap  rock,  all  worn  smooth 
and  round  with  the  constant  action  of  the  water.  A 
rocky  spot  indeed  this  is,  but  withal  a  charming  spot, 
with  its  grassy  slopes  and  rolling  hills,  its  dark,  and 
yet,  at  times,  glistening  river,  shadowed  by  the  over- 
hanging branches  of  great  banyans  and  waving  palms ; 
here  are  the  rustic  thatched  houses  of  the  natives,  sur- 
rounded by  groves  of  lemon  and  orange  trees,  laden  to 
the  ground  with  their  yellow  fruits,  shrubs  and  plants  of 
every  size,  crotons  and  dracasnas  in  all  their  gorgeous 
colourings,  and  towering  above  all  are  fine  old  trees 
over  whose  gnarled  and  knotted  branches  climbs  the 
sturdy  cactus,  spreading  itself  from  bough  to  bough  and 
forming  a  network  of  green  and  clinging  tendrils.  In 
the  distance  are  seen  the  brown  and  rugged  "  steppes  " 
of  the  southern  point  of  the  bay,  while  beyond  all  and 
far  away  to  the  west  stretch  the  great  blue  ocean  waves, 
grand  in  their  peaceful  calm,  and  grander  still  when  the 
whistling  storm-winds  lash  them  into  foaming  billows 
and  they  roll,  white  and  feather-crested,  across  the  bay, 
booming  in  their  fury  and  dashing  their  silver  spray 
against  the  rocky  pillars  and  up  the  sides  of  the  gloomy 
caverns  that  guard  the  coast. 

In  some  places  the  scenery  is  very  fine,  and  in  travel- 
ling across  the  island  many  splendid  views  are  to  be  had. 
Rev.  George  N.  Gordon,  writing  of  one  of  his  inland 
tours,  says:  "  On  the  morning  of  the  29th  (May,  1858), 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  13 

taking  with  me  two  teachers  and  two  natives,  we 
ascended  the  mountains  of  Dillon's  Bay  by  torch-light. 
About  midday,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  from  the 
top  of  a  mountain  the  blue  ocean  to  the  east  and  the 
eastern  side  of  Erromanga,  which  appeared  in  Tahitian 
grandeur.  We  continued  to  pursue  our  journey  along 
the  native  paths,  which  led  through  splendid  forests 
containing  large  trees,  and  over  living  streams,  whose 
murmuring  waters,  with  the  solitary  lays  of  the  feathered 
tribe,  reminded  us  of  life  even  in  this  land  where  death 
still  reigns.  Never  before  had  I  seen  such  charming 
scenery  as  here  presented  itself  to  view,  on  the  right 
hand  and  on  the  left,  as  we  journeyed  towards  Portinia 
Bay.  In  some  places,  on  the  narrow  ridges  of  moun- 
tains, we  walked  beside  natural  galleries,  whence,  looking 
down,  we  beheld  on  either  hand  gorgeous  valleys 
decorated  most  tastefully  by  the  Creator's  hand.  I  felt 
then  that  I  had  something  more  to  admire  than  when 
walking  through  the  magnificent  galleries  of  the  Crystal 
Palace.  By  sunset  we  reached  Portinia  Bay,  around 
which  the  country  presented  the  same  rich  and  fertile 
aspect.  Here  a  lofty  mountain,  visible  from  the  west  side 
of  the  island,  stands  in  Tahitian  majesty  and  grandeur 
between  Portinia  and  Cook's  Bays.  It  is  locked  in  by 
the  land,  though  at  a  distance  it  appears  detached." 

Erromanga  was  visited  for  the  first  time  by  foreigners 
in  the  year  1774,  when  Captain  Cook  sailed  in  his  ship, 
the  Resolution,  through  the  entire  group  of  islands  which 
he  named  the  New  Hebrides.  Proceeding  southwards 
from  Santo  and  passing  all  the  northern  and  central 
islands,  on  the  27th  of  July  a  new  land  was  sighted — 
that  of  Erromanga,  some  of  its  high  ranges  of  hills  being 
distinctly  seen  in  the  distance.  Later  on,  these  were 
found  to  belong  to  one  large  island,  but,  owing  to  ad- 


14  ERROMANGA 

verse  winds,  three  days  passed  ere  the  ship  drew  near 
the  north-west  coast.  Cook  entered  a  small  bay  (pro- 
bably Elizabeth  Bay),  intending  to  anchor,  but,  the  wind 
being  again  changeable,  he  kept  to  the  south,  passing 
Dillon's  Bay,  and  at  sunset  the  southernmost  end  of  the 
island  was  reached. 

His  purpose  was  to  leave  Erromanga  and  press  on  to 
the  southern  islands,  but  at  eight  o'clock  at  night  a 
bright  light,  which  proved  to  be  the  Tanna  volcano, 
was  seen  ahead.  Cook,  thinking  it  unsafe  to  draw  near 
it  at  night,  stood  off  the  Erromangan  coast  until  day- 
break. A  day  later,  the  ship  was  off  a  high  headland 
on  the  south-east,  and  he  tried  to  land  on  a  small  islet 
near  it,  in  order  to  procure  firewood ;  but  the  attempt 
was  unsuccessful,  owing  to  the  heavy  surf  on  the  shore. 
This  small  island,  which  is  now  marked  on  the  charts 
as  High  Rocky  Island  and  is  uninhabited,  is  formed  by 
two  hills.  It  is  very  inaccessible.  Twenty-one  years 
ago,  during  a  visit  of  the  Dayspring,  the  chief  officer 
and  I  managed,  after  much  difficulty,  to  effect  a  landing. 
Besides  the  boat's  crew,  several  Erromangans  were  with 
us.  As  we  neared  the  rocks,  one  of  them,  with  a  line 
in  his  hand,  jumped  ashore,  the  boat  being  at  once 
pushed  off  to  avoid  being  dashed  to  pieces.  In  this  way, 
by  watching  our  chance  and  springing  on  the  rocks  as 
we  drew  near  them,  several  of  us  landed,  and  by  the  aid 
of  another  line  five  goats  were  sent  ashore.  These  have 
now  increased  to  a  large  flock,  and  seem  to  be  thriving 
well.  The  island  is  very  fertile,  for  we  noticed  cocoa- 
nuts,  bread-fruit  and  other  trees  growing  plentifully. 
The  rocky  shores  were  swarming  with  huge  shell-fish — 
a  dainty  of  which  the  natives  are  extremely  fond,  and 
in  searching  for  which  they  will  spend  hours.  They 
were  able  to  get  a  plentiful  supply  that  day,  and,  on 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  15 

returning  to  the  ship,  regaled  themselves  right  royally 
on  their  shelly  repast. 

But  to  return  to  Captain  Cook's  visit.  The  Resolu- 
tion anchored  about  half  a  mile  from  the  shore  on  the 
mainland,  and  it  was  noticed  that  some  of  the  people 
made  efforts  to  swkn  off  to  the  ships,  which  seemed  to 
indicate  that  they  were  not  hostile.  Cook's  own  words 
will  best  describe  the  events  of  the  following  day,  and 
will  show  how  treacherous  these  seemingly  friendly 
people  proved. 

"  On  the  4th  (August)  at  daybreak,"  he  says,  "  I  went 
with  two  boats  to  examine  the  coast,  to  look  for  a  proper 
landing  place,  wood  and  water.  At  this  time  the  natives 
began  to  assemble  on  the  shore,  and  by  signs  invited  us 
to  land.  I  went  first  to  a  small  beach,  which  is  towards 
the  head,  where  I  found  no  good  landing,  on  account  of 
some  rocks  which  everywhere  lined  the  coast."  [A  very 
rocky  part  of  the  bay  is  called  by  the  natives  Nilpon- 
nevat,  '  the  place  of  rocks '.]  "  I,  however,  put  the  boat's 
bow  to  the  shore,  and  gave  cloth,  medals,  etc.,  to  some 
people  who  were  there.  For  this  treatment  they  offered 
to  haul  the  boats  over  the  breakers  to  the  sandy  beach, 
which  I  thought  a  friendly  offer,  but  had  reason  after- 
wards to  alter  my  opinion.  When  they  found  I  would 
not  do  as  they  desired,  they  made  signs  for  us  to  go 
down  into  the  bay,  which  we  accordingly  did,  and  they 
ran  along  shore  abreast  of  us,  their  number  increasing 
prodigiously. 

"  I  put  into  the  shore  in  two  or  three  places,  but 
not  liking  the  situation,  did  not  land.  By  this  time,  I 
believe,  the  natives  conceived  what  I  wanted,  as  they 
directed  me  round  a  rocky  point,  where,  on  a  fine  sandy 
beach,  I  stepped  out  of  the  boat  without  wetting  a  foot, 
in  the  face  of  a  vast  multitude,  with  only  a  green  branch 
in  my  hand,  which  I  had  before  got  from  one  of  them. 


i6  ERROMANGA 

I  took  but  one  man  out  of  the  boat  with  me,  and  ordered 
the  other  boat  to  lie-to  a  httle  distance  off. 

"  They  received  me  with  great  courtesy  and  poHteness, 
and  would  retire  back  from  the  boat  on  my  making  the 
least  motion  with  my  hand.  A  man,  whom  I  took  to 
be  a  chief,  seeing  this,  made  them  form  a  semicircle 
round  the  boat's  bow,  and  beat  such  as  attempted  to 
break  through  this  order.  This  man  I  loaded  with 
presents,  giving  likewise  to  others,  and  asked  by  signs 
for  fresh  water,  in  hopes  of  seeing  where  they  got  it. 
The  chief  immediately  sent  a  man  for  some,  who  ran  to 
a  house,  and  presently  returned  with  a  little  in  a  bam- 
boo;^ so  that  I  gained  but  little  information  by  this. 
I  next  asked,  by  the  same  means,  for  something  to 
eat ;  and  they  as  readily  brought  me  a  yam  and  some 
cocoanuts.  In  short,  I  was  charmed  with  their  be- 
haviour ;  4  and  the  only  thing  that  could  give  the  least 
suspicion  was  that  most  of  them  were  armed  with  clubs, 
spears,  darts,  and  bows  and  arrows.  For  this  reason 
I  kept  my  eye  continually  on  the  chief,  and  watched  his 
looks  as  well  as  his  actions.  He  made  many  signs  to 
me  to  haul  the  boat  upon  the  shore,  and  at  last  slipped 
into  the  crowd,  where  I  observed  him  speak  to  several 
people  and  then  return  to  me,  repeating  signs  to  haul 
the  boat  up  and  hesitating  a  good  deal  before  he  would 
receive  some  spike-nails  which  I  then  offered  him.  This 
made  me  suspect  that  something  was  intended,  and 
immediately  I  stepped  into  the  boat,  telling  them  by 
signs  that  I  should  soon  return. 

"  But  they  were  not  for  parting  so  soon,  and  now 
attempted  by  force  what  they  could  not  obtain  by 
gentler  means.  The  gang-board  happened,  unluckily, 
to  be  laid  out  for  me  to  come  into  the  boat.  I  say  un- 
luckily ;  for  if  it  had  not  been  out,  and  if  the  crew  had 
been  a  little  quicker  in  getting  the  boat  off,  the  natives 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  17 

might  not  have  had  time  to  put  their  design  in  execution, 
nor  would  the  following  disagreeable  scene  have  hap- 
pened. As  we  were  putting  off  the  boat,  they  laid  hold 
of  the  gang-board  and  unhooked  it  off  the  boat's  stern, 
but  as  they  did  not  take  it  away,  I  thought  this  had  been 
done  by  accident,  and  ordered  the  boat  in  again  to  take 
it  up.  Then  they  themselves  hooked  it  over  the  boat's 
stem,  and  attempted  to  haul  her  ashore ;  others,  at  the 
same  time,  snatched  the  oars  out  of  the  people's  hands. 

"  On  my  pointing  a  musket  at  them,  they,  in  some 
measure,  desisted,  but  returned  in  an  instant,  seemingly 
determined  to  haul  the  boat  ashore.  At  the  head  of  this 
party  was  the  chief ;  the  others,  who  could  not  come 
at  the  boat,  stood  behind  with  darts,  stones,  and  bows 
and  arrows  in  hand,  ready  to  support  them.  Signs  and 
threats  having  no  effect,  our  own  safety  became  the  only 
consideration ;  and  yet  I  was  unwilling  to  fire  on  the 
multitude,  and  resolved  to  make  the  chief  alone  fall  a 
victim  to  his  own  treachery ;  but  my  musket  at  this 
critical  moment  missed  fire.  Whatever  idea  they  might 
have  formed  of  the  arms  we  held  in  our  hands,  they  must 
now  have  looked  upon  them  as  childish  weapons,  and 
began  to  let  us  see  how  much  better  theirs  were,  by 
throwing  stones  and  darts,  and  by  shooting  arrows. 
This  made  it  absolutely  necessary  for  one  to  give  orders 
to  fire.  The  first  discharge  threw  them  into  confusion ; 
but  a  second  was  hardly  sufficient  to  drive  them  off 
the  beach  ;  and,  after  all,  they  continued  to  throw  stones 
from  behind  the  bushes,  and  every  now  and  again  to 
pop  out  and  throw  a  dart.  Four  lay,  to  all  appearance, 
dead  on  the  shore,  but  two  of  them  afterwards  crawled 
into  the  bushes. 

"  Happy  it  was  for  these  people  that  not  half  our 
muskets  would  go  off,  otherwise  many  more  would 
have  fallen.     We  had  one  man  wounded  in  the  cheek 


i8  ERROMANGA 

with  a  dart,  the  point  of  which  was  as  thick  as  my 
finger,  and  yet  it  entered  about  two  inches,  which 
shows  that  it  must  have  come  with  great  force,  though 
indeed  we  were  very  near  them.  An  arrow  struck  Mr. 
Gilbert's  naked  breast,  who  was  about  thirty  yards  off, 
but  possibly  it  had  struck  something  before,  for  it  hardly 
penetrated  the  skin.  The  arrows  were  pointed  with 
hard  wood." 

When  Cook  returned  to  his  ship,  several  people  were 
noticed  on  the  shore,  holding  up  two  of  the  oars  which 
had  been  taken  from  the  sailors  during  the  skirmish, 
and  it  was  thought  by  the  commander  that  this  was 
"  a  sign  of  submission  ".  He  was,  however,  induced  to 
fire  a  four-pound  shot,  which  so  startled  them  that  they 
fled  from  the  shore,  leaving  the  oars  behind  them,  and 
not  a  single  person  appeared  again. 

The  tale  of  this  first  appearance  of  strangers  has  been 
handed  down  to  the  children  and  children's  children 
of  the  people  who  saw  Cook  on  that  occasion.  About 
twenty  years  ago,  I  heard  from  an  aged  man,  named 
Potnilo-lo-intomo,  a  full  account  of  the  visit,  and  I  was 
glad  to  note  that  it  tallied  exactly  with  Cook's  own 
description,  though  the  old  man  had  never  heard  the 
latter.  He  told  me  that,  when  he  was  a  boy,  he  listened 
to  the  tales  of  the  grey-bearded  men  around  him,  who 
recounted,  probably  as  they  sat  round  their  glowing 
camp-fires  at  night,  and  waxed  eloquent  over  the  warlike 
feats  of  their  youth,  of  the  great  white  nobu  or  gods, 
who  came  to  their  land  long  ago,  and  who  struck  terror 
into  the  hearts  of  the  people  by  their  wonderful  fire 
and  the  huge  floating  lo  or  kingdom  in  which  they 
lived.  Potnilo  said  that  one  man  only — Narom,  the 
chief  —  was  killed  outright  by  the  whites,  the  other 
natives  who  were  wounded  soon  recovered.  Amongst 
a  few  striking  little  incidents  in  connection  with  the 


"cook's   landing"    ox    the   KAbT    COAST. 

(  'traitors'  head"  in  the  distance  )  [Page  19. 


THE   OI.D  SITE  OF  THE  SANDAL-WOOD  STATION   AT  DILLON'S  BAY. 

[Page  39. 


thp:  islands  of  the  group        19 

havoc  wrought  by  the  strangers,  I  heard  of  a  woman 
who  was  gathering  food  in  her  plantation  and  who  had 
a  finger  shot  clean  off  by  a  cannon  ball  I 

The  bay  in  which  Cook  anchored,  and  to  which  he 
gave  no  name,  is  now  marked  on  the  chart  as  Polenia 
Bay,  although  we  have  always  known  it  as  Portinia 
Bay.  I  am  convinced,  however,  that  neither  of  these 
names  has  been  supplied  by  the  natives,  but  that  they 
are  both  corruptions  from  Potnuma,  the  name  of  a  dis- 
trict on  the  north  side  of  the  bay,  where  Mr.  Gordon 
had  his  mission  settlement.  In  the  same  way,  our  own 
mission  station  in  that  bay,  almost  at  the  spot  of  Cook's 
landing,  is  called  by  us  Port  Nariven,  instead  of  Pot- 
nariven,  the  real  name,  which  is  formed  from  pot,  '  the 
place  of,'  and  nariven,  '  sand  '. 

A  large  and  very  deep  bay  to  the  south  of  this  was 
passed  by  Cook  after  leaving  Portinia  Bay,  and  is  now 
known  as  "  Cook's  Bay  ".  "  The  high  headland  between 
these  two  bays,"  he  says,  "  I  named  *  Traitor's  Head,' 
from  the  treacherous  behaviour  of  its  inhabitants."  This 
headland,  which  comprises  three  peaks,  is  seen  distinctly 
from  a  long  distance.  It  is  densely  wooded,  and  its 
summits  are  continually  enveloped  in  mist.  Lieut. 
Rowley,  R.N.,  of  H.M.S.  Wallaroo,  has  kindly  supplied 
the  heights  of  the  three  peaks ;  the  first  or  outer  peak 
is  2,160  ft.,  the  second,  2,580  ft,  and  the  third  and  most 
inland  peak,  2,700  ft. 

I  have  twice  climbed  the  highest  peak.  We  could 
follow  the  native  paths  for  some  distance  from  the  base, 
but  after  a  time  these  ceased  and  our  road  had  to  be 
made  as  we  continued  our  ascent.  In  some  places  we 
had  to  pull  ourselves  up  by  the  roots  of  trees,  in  others, 
scale  a  rock  at  the  side  of  a  precipice,  where  a  false  step 
or  a  slip  would  have  hurled  us  into  the  valley  below.     As 


20  ERROMANGA 

we  neared  the  summit,  we  sank  knee-deep  in  moss  and 
ferns. 

Some  years  ago,  when  making  our  first  ascent,  we 
found  the  air  bitterly  cold  on  reaching  the  summit.  It 
was  rather  a  novel  experience  in  this  warm  climate  to 
be  crouching,  shivering,  on  a  damp,  moss-covered  log, 
trying  to  warm  ourselves  by  the  glow  of  the  fire  which 
the  natives  had  kindled.  On  a  fine  day,  from  the  sum- 
mit of  Traitor's  Head,  the  islands  of  Tanna  and  Aniwa 
can  be  distinctly  seen,  and  on  a  very  clear  day  even 
Efate,  which  is  about  sixty  miles  distant. 

LINES  IN  PRAISE  OF  ERROMANGA. 
{Written  by  a  young  girl  ivho  was  horn  there.) 

A  rock-bound  isle  in  a  southern  sea, 

With  a  southern  sky  for  a  dome, 
And  its  lonely  hills  and  darkening  vales, 

Is  the  land  I  call  my  home. 
It  has  grassy  slopes  and  deep  ravines, 

Where  the  birds  of  the  wild  are  dwelling, 
Where  nought,  but  the  sound  of  the  echoes,  round 

The  craggy  rocks  is  swelling. 

From  afar  up  among  the  distant  hills 

Comes  the  murmur  of  a  stream — 
A  slumber  sound  and  a  slumber  song, 

That  fills  the  vale  like  a  dream  ; 
A  wild  hawk  swoops  from  the  '  echo-rock/ 

Then  soars  to  the  mists  on  high  ; 
All  else  is  still  save  the  rippling  rill, 

And  the  willow's  moaning  sigh. 

When  the  cloud  of  night  is  spreading  o'er 

That  vale,  from  its  depths  to  its  crest, 
And  the  whispering  winds,  as  they  float  along. 

Hush  the  cooing  birds  to  rest; 
When  the  rugged  heads  of  the  far-off  peaks 

Are  hid  in  a  shrouding  veil, 
And  high  in  the  night  the  pale  moonlight 

Sheds  its  rays  o'er  hill  and  dale — 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  GROUP  21 

'Tis  then  that  the  isle,  in  splendour  wrapt, 

Draws  my  wondering  eyes  to  the  scene  ; 
For  then  the  foot  of  the  shadowed  hills 

Is  bathed  in  a  golden  sheen  ; 
And  the  moonbeams  touch  with  a  silver  wand 

The  river  dark  and  lone. 
And  they  cheer  men's  way  with  their  gleaming  ray, 

While  they  kiss  e'en  the  mossy  stone  ; 

They  glint  on  the  leaves  of  the  swaying  palm. 

That  bends  to  every  breeze  ; 
And  pierce  the  web  of  the  cactus  that  climbs 

Up  the  fine  old  knotted  trees. 
And  all  is  fair — so  grand,  so  fair ! 

For  the  wondrous  Evening  Star 
Looks  down  on  the  brook,  each  silent  nook, 

And  the  vales  'mid  the  hills  afar. 

Loved  Star  of  mine  !  thou  heavenly  light ! 

Watch  o'er  my  island  home, 
And  shed  thy  blissful  beacon  rays 

On  the  land  and  the  ocean's  foam. 
O  lonely  hills,  O  rocky  peaks  1 

My  home  in  the  New  Hebrides ; 
Should  the  storm-wind  sweep  o'er  the  rolling  deep, 

My  mind  in  thee  is  at  ease. 

Let  our  home  be  in  the  ice-bound  North, 

Or  an  isle  of  the  Southern  Sea, 
The  love  is  the  same :  some  love  the  North, 

But  the  Star  of  the  South  for  me. 
Roll  on,  ye  waves,  in  your  angry  roar. 

Roll  on,  in  your  sunny  calm. 
As  a  girdling  band  round  my  own  home  land. 

My  isle  of  the  southern  palm  1 

N.  R. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD. 

Though  the  existence  of  sandal-wood  on  Erromanga 
was  not  much  known  until  1839,  the  year  of  Williams's 
martyrdom,  a  small  trade  in  it  must  have  been  carried 
on  for  some  time  previously.  The  Erromangans  tell  of 
'  yellow  men,'  probably  natives  of  Rotumah,^  who  settled 
among  them  long  before  the  white  men  came.  The 
yellow  and  the  black  seem  to  have  been  constantly  at 
war  with  each  other,  and  the  people  at  Dillon's  Bay 
say  that,  after  much  bloodshed,  the  yellow  men  fled 
across  the  mountains  to  the  great  "  Worantop  "  (Traitor's 
Head)  on  the  east  of  the  island. 

One  of  the  early  navigators  in  these  seas,  the  Cheva- 
lier Dillon,  passed  through  the  Fiji  and  New  Hebrides 
groups,  searching  for  sandal-wood,  and  our  bay  on  the 
west  coast  of  Erromanga  received  his  name. 

During  my  visit  to  Sydney,  in  1878,  Rev.  Dr.  Steel* 
one  day  said  to  me,  "  You  must  try  and  see  Dr.  George 
Bennett  whilst  here ;  he  is  much  interested  in  Erro- 
manga, and  wants  to  tell  you  of  his  early  visits  to  the 
island  ".  I  had  often  heard  of  him  as  an  enthusiastic 
naturalist,  and  now  welcomed  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
him.  He  gave  me  graphic  descriptions  of  his  two  visits 
to  Erromanga — the  first  in  1829,  the  second  some  years 
later.  It  was  Dr.  Bennett  who  was  the  first  to  capture 
a  living  nautilus,  a  creature  which  is  still  found  in  the 

(22) 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  23 

waters  of  Dillon's  Bay.  In  his  work  entitled  Gatherings 
of  a  Naturalist  in  Australasia  (p.  377),  he  says,  that 
after  passing  Erronan,  now  called  Futuna,  "  on  the 
following  day  the  island  of  Erromanga  was  visible ;  its 
aspect  was  mountainous,  covered  with  dense  vegetation, 
and,  as  we  sailed  along  its  coasts,  displayed  bold,  pictur- 
esque scenery,  clothed  in  the  luxuriant  vegetation  of  the 
tropics.  We  anchored  in  Dillon's  Bay,  at  a  distance  of 
half  a  mile  from  the  shore.  .  .  .  The  declivities  of  the 
hills  in  the  vicinity  were  densely  wooded,  whilst  on  the 
ledges  small  villages  could  be  distinguished,  shaded  by 
bread-fruit,  banana  and  cocoanut  trees,  and  an  expanse 
of  hilly  country  formed  a  picturesque  and  verdant  back- 
ground to  this  beautiful  scenery.  ...  A  long  coral  reef 
extended  from  the  land,  which  was  partially  dry  at  low 
water ;  about  this  reef  I  thought  I  might  fall  in  with 
and  capture  a  nautilus  on  the  rocks.  On  the  24th 
August,  1829,  when  walking  on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  in 
this  bay,  on  a  calm  evening,  I  observed  an  object  floating 
upon  the  water  resembling  a  dead  tortoise-shell  cat. 
So  unexpected  a  sight  excited  my  curiosity,  and  the  boat, 
which  was  alongside  the  ship  at  the  time,  was  im- 
mediately manned  and  sent  to  ascertain  the  nature  of 
this  floating  object.  It  was  found  to  be  the  pearly  nauti- 
lus, the  keel  of  the  shell  uppermost ;  it  was  captured 
and  brought  on  board.  When  the  boat  approached, 
the  animal  was  sinking ;  but,  the  shell  being  broken  by 
blows  with  the  boat-hook,  its  escape  was  prevented. 
How  vividly  the  bright  moment  recurs  to  my  remem- 
brance, when  this  long-sought-for  prize  was  quivering 
within  my  grasp !  I  extracted  the  animal  (after  making 
a  sketch  of  its  relative  position)  in  a  perfect  state,  and 
found  it  firmly  attached  to  each  side  of  the  upper  cavity 
of  the  shell,  which  was  unfortunately  shattered  to  pieces  : 
the  chambered  parts  were  perfect,  and  on  laying  them 


24  ERROMANGA 

open,  they  only  contained  water ;  but  this  may  have 
occurred  from  injury  sustained  when  the  animal  was 
captured.  Thus,  after  the  lapse  of  nearly  a  century, 
the  animal  of  the  pearly  nautilus  was  recovered  to 
science. 

"  Not  having  a  jar  or  a  bottle  of  sufficient  diameter,  I 
contented  myself  by  preserving  that  which  was  the  great 
desideratum — the  animal  itself.  Its  natural  position  is 
with  the  back  of  the  head  and  concavity  of  the  hood 
against  the  chambered  portion  of  the  shell,  the  funnel 
resting  on  the  outer  concave  lip,  the  tentacles  protruded 
over  the  side  margins  of  the  aperture,  and  the  body 
retained  within  the  shell  by  the  mantle  and  its  horny 
girdle.  This  animal  is  so  constructed  as  to  move  with 
rapidity  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  carrying  its  shell 
like  a  snail,  and  having  the  power  of  rising  and  occa- 
sionally floating  upon  the  surface.  On  being  brought 
on  board,  I  observed  it  retract  the  tentacles  or  feelers 
still  closer  than  before ;  and  this,  with  a  slight  quivering 
of  the  body,  was  the  only  sign  of  vitality  it  gave.  How 
efficiently  this  animal  has  been  made  available  to  science 
is  well  known  to  those  who  have  seen  the  valuable 
memoir  of  the  7iautilus  pompilius  by  my  friend  Pro- 
fessor Owen,  published  by  the  Royal  College  of 
Surgeons  of  England." 

On  Dr.  Bennett's  second  visit  to  Erromanga,  the  ship 
cast  anchor  off  Traitor's  Head,  and  "  we  were  surprised," 
he  remarked,  "  on  going  ashore,  to  find  a  band  of  Rotu- 
mah  natives  there,  and  with  them  two  or  three  little 
boys  and  a  tiny  girl,  sitting  round  a  fire  and  with  great 
glee  roasting  some  bread-fruit."  "  What  is  the  meaning 
of  this  ? "  the  Doctor  asked  the  men ;  "  these  children 
do  not  belong  to  you  " ;  and  then  he  heard  this  tragic 
tale. 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  25 

These  Rotumah  men  had  been  on  the  island  for  some 
time,  trading  in  sandal-wood.  Quite  lately,  the  people 
of  that  district  had  come  to  them,  telling  them  that  there 
was  going  to  be  war  between  them  and  the  tribes  beyond 
the  "  great  mountain  ".  They  asked  the  foreigners  to 
accompany  them  to  battle,  and  give  their  help.  "  No ; 
we  are  not  here  to  light  your  wars ;  we  will  not  go,"  they 
replied.  "  Well,  give  us  your  guns,"  the  Erromangans 
answered;  "you  can  spare  them,  and  they  will  make 
our  fighting  easier ".  But  to  this  request  too  the 
strangers  turned  a  deaf  ear.  "  We  will  not  give  our 
guns ;  go  and  fight  your  own  battles  and  leave  us ;  we 
are  not  your  people  but  strangers." 

Seeing  that  urging  was  useless,  the  Erromangans 
sprang  to  their  feet  in  great  anger.  "  Let  it  be  so," 
they  yelled  ;  "  you  will  get  no  more  sandal-wood  from  us, 
and  from  this  time,  you  are  not  only  strangers  but  foes." 
The  enraged  people  started  at  once  for  the  distant  camp, 
put  to  flight  the  tribes  beyond  the  "  great  mountain," 
kiUing  and  wounding  many,  and  returning  in  horrid 
exultation  with  six  helpless  little  ones  as  prisoners. 
They  must  have  been  the  children  of  chiefs,  for  the 
victors  were  jubilant  over  their  misery  and  kept  them 
carefully  guarded.  Oh,  the  dreadful  deed  that  followed ! 
That  night  two  of  these  poor  little  victims  were  dragged 
brutally  from  their  companions,  savagely  killed,  and  then 
eaten  by  their  ferocious  captors.  The  pitiful  screams 
of  the  helpless  children,  as  they  writhed  in  the  clutch 
of  their  murderers,  were  heartrending,  and,  though,  alas ! 
too  late  to  save  them,  the  Rotumah  men  dashed  out, 
and  after  a  deadly  fight  succeeded  in  rescuing  the  remain- 
ing little  ones  and  carrying  them  to  their  camp. 

Life  was  no  longer  safe  for  any  of  the  strangers  on 
the  island,  and  they  implored  Dr.  Bennett's  people  to 
take  them  to  their  home  again.   The  Captain  agreed,  and 


26  ERROMANGA 

soon  all  the  band  left  the  shores  of  Erromanga.  They 
reached  Rotumah,  and  the  fugitives  with  the  children 
they  had  saved  from  so  terrible  a  doom  were  landed. 
Shortly  before  the  ship  was  to  leave,  they  came  on 
board  again  to  say  good-bye  to  their  friends,  and,  when 
it  was  time  for  them  to  return  to  the  shore,  Alau,  the 
little  girl,  pleaded  to  stay  a  short  time  longer  to  play 
with  her  companion  on  board — the  ship's  monkey. 
Soon  after  the  natives  had  left,  a  strong  wind  got  up, 
and,  in  fear  of  being  driven  ashore,  the  Captain  had 
at  once  to  set  sail  and  leave  the  coast.  "  What  can  I 
do  about  this  poor  little  Alau  ? "  queried  Dr.  Bennett, 
under  whose  special  care  the  child  had  been  placed. 
"You  may  take  her  to  England,  Doctor,"  the  Captain 
replied ;  and  added,  that  was  the  only  thing  left 
to  do. 

So  Alau,  the  tiny  Erromangan,  had  a  long  voyage  to 
England's  shores  and  to  the  only  home  she  was  ever 
to  know.  At  first  she  could  not  be  led  to  eat  any  food 
on  board  but  potatoes — the  nearest  in  appearance  to 
her  native  yam ;  water  was  her  only  drink ;  bread  and 
meat  she  would  not  even  look  at.  In  a  little,  the  child 
learned  to  like  the  hard  ship-biscuits  and,  in  time,  other 
foods  too.  A  little  stranger,  she  was  amongst  strangers, 
but  she  soon  learned  to  trust  them,  and  was  wonderfully 
happy  in  her  own  way.  To  her  only  playmate,  the 
mischievous  monkey,  the  child  became  very  much 
attached,  and  the  two  enjoyed  many  a  romp  together, 
Alau  sharing  all  her  food  with  her  frisky  companion. 

Dr.  Bennett's  little  protegee  was  s.  great  attraction 
at  drawing-room  gatherings  in  the  home  country,  and 
it  was  touching,  he  said,  to  see  the  small,  delicate  child 
moving  so  confidently  from  one  lady  to  another  and 
speaking  in  her  quaint  broken  English  of  an  island  far 
away.     Noticing  how  the  food  was  prepared,  "  We  don't 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  27 

cook  things  like  that  in  my  land,"  she  would  say ;  "  we 
dig  big  holes  in  the  ground  and  put  fire  and  stones  in 
them,  and  the  stones  cook  our  food  when  we  require  it ". 
On  she  would  go  with  her  prattle,  her  great,  dark, 
rolling  eyes  glancing  from  one  to  another  of  the  kind 
faces  that  met  her  view,  until  some  one  would  ask  what 
food  they  ate ;  surely  not  yams  always ;  did  her  people 
never  eat  anything  else  ?  Then  the  child,  with  a  shudder, 
would  draw  closer  to  her  friend,  a  startled  look  in  her 
wonderful  eyes,  the  piteous,  frightened  little  face  show- 
ing all  too  plainly  that  scenes,  awful  in  their  hideous 
cruelty,  had  imprinted  themselves  upon  her  memory, 
never  to  be  effaced. 

Men  of  science  in  London  examined  the  child's  head, 
which  they  pronounced  remarkably  well  formed  and  the 
brain  quite  up  to  the  average.  But  always  delicate,  her 
lungs  became  affected  by  the  cold  English  cHmate,  and, 
during  her  second  winter  at  home,  little  Alau,  the  fugi- 
tive from  her  own  native  shores  and  rescued  there  from 
an  awful  death,  closed  her  short  but  eventful  life. 

The  Erromangans  for  generations  used  the  sandal- 
wood as  they  would  any  other  for  fuel,,  and  had  no  idea 
of  its  value  until  foreigners  came  and  asked  for  it.  The 
only  price  that  was  at  first  given  was  a  small  bit  of  hoop- 
iron,  from  three  to  four  inches  in  length,  and  this  for  a 
great  boat-load  of  wood.  But  the  savages  were  greatly 
taken  with  the  iron,  for  by  sharpening  it  on  a  stone  and 
fastening  it  to  a  piece  of  wood  they  made  themselves 
rough  axes.  Before  that,  they  had  nothing  but  their 
ancient  implements  of  stone  to  work  with. 

Netai — the  great  chief  Netai  of  Cook's  Bay — used 
to  delight  to  tell  me  of  the  olden  times  on  Erromanga, 
and  how  tedious  was  the  method  of  cutting  trees  for 
their  houses  and  canoes.     Every  tree  had  to  be  burned 


28  ERROMANGA 

at  its  base,  and,  when  that  was  done,  there  still  remained 
the  slow  work  of  hacking  with  stone  axes  to  sever  it 
from  the  stump. 

"  Sometimes,"  Netai  said,  "  a  man  would  climb  up  a 
very  hig-h  tree,  and  just  as  he  was  driving  his  utevil  or 
'  axe  '  against  a  limb,  the  stone  would  loosen  and  fall  out. 
Now  the  man  had  just  got  up  the  tree  with  some  labour, 
and  he  did  not  care  to  get  down  again.  So  he  would 
call  and  call  again  till  some  one  heard,  or  perhaps  he 
might  have  friends  near.  *  Uvrangi,  find  for  me  my 
titevil ;  it  has  fallen;'  and  he  would  point  to  the  spot. 
But,  perhaps,  though  they  might  search  for  some  time, 
they  could  not  see  it." 

"  Then  he  would  have  to  go  down  himself  .-• "  I  said. 

"  Oh,  no !  he  wouldn't,  for  that  would  be  wasting  his 
time;  he  would  show  the  handle  of  his  utevil;  'Look, 
you  fellows,'  he  would  say,  '  and  see  where  I  drop  this ; ' 
and,  sure  enough,  they  would  find  the  stone  in  that  very 
spot.  Then,  after  detaching  a  long  creeper  from  the 
tree  and  lowering  it  to  his  friends,  who  tied  the  utevil 
to  it,  the  man  pulled  it  up,  and  went  on  with  his  work 
again." 

Such  was  the  early  Erromangan  method  of  hewing 
wood ;  and  the  sandal-wood,  too,  had  to  be  cut  in  the 
same  way.  The  ships  carried  great  lengths  of  hoop-iron, 
bound  together,  and,  amidst  the  babble  of  voices  from 
swarms  of  naked,  painted  savages  clamouring  for  their 
pay,  and  the  confusion  and  shoutings  that  arose  as  the 
huge  logs  were  swung  into  place,  there  could  be  heard 
in  the  distance  the  clink  of  a  hammer  as  it  struck  the 
anvil :  the  iron  was  being  cut  into  the  coveted  lengths. 

Sometimes  a  bit  was  shown  to  the  natives  as  soon  as 
the  ship  came  to  anchor,  and  off  they  would  go,  often 
away  up  the  steep  mountain  sides,  searching  for  the 
treasure.     After  the  logs  were  burnt  and  cut  down,  they 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  29 

were  tied  together  and  carried  to  the  bay  on  men's 
shoulders ;  if  a  very  big  tree,  it  had  to  be  dragged  down 
the  rocky  mountain  tracks.  How  they  must  have 
shouted !  For  natives  believe  in  making  plenty  of  noise, 
especially  when  carrying  anything  heavy  in  that  way. 
Very  often,  when  they  brought  the  sandal-wood,  the 
white  men  refused  to  give  the  hoop-iron  till  another 
boat-load  was  secured,  threatening  to  sink  their  canoes 
if  they  did  not  "  clear  out "  at  once.  "  And  some  of 
them,"  Netai  said,  "  would  tell  us  to  come  off  to  the 
ship  in  the  evening  and  they  would  pay  us,  and  when 
we  went  off,  they  would  tell  us  to  go  farther  than  we 
wished." 

A  few  of  the  rough  characters  once  told  the  natives 
how  much  they  would  like  to  learn  the  Erromangan 
language,  so  that  they  might  talk  to  the  people  and  be 
friendly.  "  You  come  on  board  and  teach  us,  and  we 
will  teach  you  English."  They  gave  the  natives  to- 
bacco, and,  note-book  in  hand,  proceeded  to  the  lesson. 
Of  course,  the  whole  conversation  was  carried  on  in 
"sandal-wood  English,"  but  the  white  men  said  they 
could  supply  the  correct  English  phrases.  The  sailors 
soon  learned  a  few  simple  Erromangan  sentences,  such 
as :  "  Are  you  in  good  health  ?  "  "  How  much  will  you 
give  me  ? "  and  "  When  are  you  coming  back  again  .-•  " 
and  the  English  equivalents,  in  the  form  of  sailors'  oaths, 
were  duly  impressed  on  the  listening  Erromangans. 

"  But  in  this  way,"  added  Netai,  who  soon  found  out 
the  real  meanings,  "  we  learnt  to  talk  to  them  in  their 
own  language  when  they  deceived  us,  as  they  often  did. 
'  We  have  a  great  navilah}  "  sacred  stone,"  on  board,'  they 
would  tell  us ;  '  you  bring  us  plenty  of  wood,  and  you 
may  have  it'  And  as  we  prized  the  navilah,  especially 
very  old  and  large  ones,  we  did  as  they  asked,  and  when 
we  found  that  their  navilah  was  only  a  stone  that  they 


30  ERROMANGA 

had  cut  themselves  and  that  had  never  been  formed 
by  the  spirits,  we  were  angry — and  talked  to  them  as 
they  had  taught  us  to  talk." 

Not  until  many  years  had  passed  did  the  natives  re- 
ceive the  small  English  axes  now  used  as  payment  for 
trade. 

In  connection  with  the  early  sandal-wood  days  much 
has  taken  place  on  this  island  that  will  never  be  known. 
We  get  glimpses  here  and  there  of  dark  deeds,  cruelties 
that  fill  us  with  loathing  for  the  low,  unprincipled 
white  men — savages  themselves — who  had  dealings  with 
these  degraded  but  ignorant  natives.  As  the  late  James 
Gordon  wrote  :  "  Every  beach  on  this  ill-fated  island  has 
been  stained  with  the  blood  of  foreigners,  and  the 
sandal-wood  itself  has  been  taken  away  besmeared  with 
native  blood."  Some  of  the  awful  tragedies  that  have 
taken  place  on  these  shores  would,  perhaps,  hardly  be 
believed  at  this  date.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Turner*  heard  them 
from  the  perpetrators  themselves,  and  made  known  the 
facts.  "  They  say,"  he  wrote,  "  they  get  a  chief  on 
board,  and  keep  him  until  they  get  boat-loads  of  wood 
for  his  rescue.  After  getting  the  wood,  they  take  away 
the  poor  man  still  and  sell  him  for  more  wood  at  another 
place,  there  to  be  a  slave,  or  more  likely  a  roast  for  the 
next  meal.  At  this  place  they  will  pick  up  some  other 
person,  and  off  with  him  again.  If  they  take  some 
Tanna  men  in  this  way  to  Erromanga,  they  will  return 
to  Tanna  and  say,  *  Oh,  they  were  killed  at  Erromanga !  ' 
And  at  Erromanga  they  will  say  the  same  of  any  Erro- 
mangans  who  have  been  left  here." 

Dr.  Turner  likewise  wrote  strongly  of  the  infamous 
method  of  extorting  the  wood  from  the  natives.  "  A 
dishonest  trader  will  show  a  cat ;  a  boat-load  of  sandal- 
wood is  brought  for  it ;  he  tells  them  to  bring  more ; 
and  after  all  he  keeps  the  cat,  and,  laughing,  sails  off  with 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  31 

the  wood.  ...  It  is  reported  that  this  very  party  now 
at  anchor  took  a  chief  of  Cook's  Bay  lately ;  first 
mangled  his  body  on  board,  then  threw  him  into  the  sea 
and  shot  at  him  as  a  target.  Dating  from  a  sandal-wood 
expedition  which  was  at  Erromanga  not  long  before 
Mr.  Williams  was  killed  up  to  the  present  time,  I  can 
reckon  no  fewer  than  three  hundred  and  twenty-two  souls 
who  have  perished  in  the  traffic." 

It  is  far  from  my  intention  to  speak  as  if  all  connected 
with  this  trade  bore  the  same  vicious  dispositions  that 
characterised  some.  As  the  years  went  on  and  the 
trade  fell  into  the  hands  of  companies,  it  improved  very 
much,  and  I  can  honestly  affirm  that  there  were  those 
in  the  employ  of  these  companies  who  were  men  of  high 
moral  character,  and  who  would  have  scorned  to  do  a 
mean  action.  There  were  bright  exceptions  to  the  rule 
of  cruelty,  but  so  appalling  were  the  atrocities  in  contrast, 
that  the  days  of  the  early  sandal-wood  traffic  are  but  a 
page  of  misery  and  blood. 

Here  is  a  passage  written  by  Dr.  Turner :  — 

"  Aneityum,  x-jth  April,  1845. 

"  Hearing  that  some  white  men  had  taken  up  their 
abode  on  a  small  sand-bank  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island  and  also  that  a  chief  there  has  long  been  wishing 
a  teacher,  we  determined  to  visit  both  parties.  Taking 
Simeoni  with  us  as  our  pilot  and  interpreter,  we  left 
the  ship  this  morning  at  daylight.  For  a  time  we  kept 
inside  the  reef,  and  then  had  to  strike  out  to  sea  and 
along  the  bold  shore.  It  is  a  lovely  island — fertile, 
cultivated  towards  the  sea,  and  well-watered.  Here  and 
there  we  saw  in  the  distance  a  silvery  waterfall  among 
the  mountain  gorges.  By  nine,  we  were  at  the  little 
island,  quite  a  sand-bank,  and,  with  another  one,  form- 
ing   a    pretty   good    harbour    between    them    and    the 


32  ERROMAxNGA 

mainland.  Here  we  found  a  jetty,  flag-staff,  weather- 
boarded  •  houses,  piles  of  sandal-wood,  a  rusty  swivel 
mounted  here  and  there,  and  every  appearance  of  a 
foreign  settlement.  A  Mr.  Murphy  came  down  as  we 
landed,  and  conducted  us  to  the  store,  where  we  sat 
for  a  little.  He  said  that  Captain  Paddon,  who  was  at 
the  head  of  the  concern,  was  absent;  that  they  came 
here  in  January ;  that  they  have  two  vessels  collecting 
sandal-wood;  and  that  they  have  advertised  the  place 
in  the  colonial  papers  as  a  convenient  harbour  for  whal- 
ing and  other  vessels.  He  says  they  have  bought  the 
island  from  the  natives.  Our  teachers  confirm  this,  and 
add  that  they  paid  for  it  an  axe,  a  rug,  and  a  string  of 
beads.  It  is  little  more  than  a  mile  in  circumference, 
without  a  cocoanut  and  hardly  a  blade  of  grass.  It  was 
considered  by  the  natives  a  haunted  spot,  and  hence 
they  never  planted  anything  on  it.  They  had  no  objec- 
tion, however,  to  sell  it  to  the  white  men." 

Such  is  the  extract  from  Dr.  Turner's  journals  of  his 
first  visit  to  the  New  Hebrides,  after  he  had  fled  with 
Dr.  Nisbet  in  1843  from  the  inhospitable  shores  of 
Tanna. 

On  the  memorable  day  of  Williams's  martyrdom.  Cap- 
tain Rodd,  who  was  then  an  apprentice  on  the  Camden, 
discovered  that  the  sandal-wood  tree  grew  on  Erro- 
manga.  Returning  to  Sydney,  he  made  known  his  infor- 
mation, and  was  engaged  by  Captain  R.  Towns  for 
the  trade.  I  remember  meeting  Rodd  at  Aneityum  many 
years  ago.  He  was  a  dark-complexioned,  short  but 
well-set,  man  ;  had  lost  his  right  arm  and  his  right  eye 
in  the  traffic,  and  was  then,  I  should  think,  not  more 
than  forty-five  years  old.  But  it  seems  that  Captain 
Paddon  was  really  the  first  to  open  a  regular  trading 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  33 

station  in  the  group,  to  which  the  wood  was  gathered 
from  the  different  islands  and  re-shipped. 

To  Captain  Joseph  Hastings,  for  several  years  en- 
gaged in  the  trade  and  noted  for  his  great  cordiality 
towards  the  mission  and  his  high  sense  of  honour,  I  am 
indebted  for  many  facts  regarding  the  sandal-wood 
traffic.  Captain  Hastings,  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
knowing  when  on  Aneityum,  and  whom  I  again  met 
lately  in  Sydney,  was  in  the  employ  of  Captain  Burns, 
of  Sydney.  Dr.  Steel  mentions  that  "  he  was  proverbial 
for  his  kindness  to  the  missionaries,"  and  they,  in  their 
turn,  entertained  a  deep  respect  for  him.  It  was  he  that 
removed  Dr.  Paton  and  Mr.  Matheson  in  their  time  of 
trial  and  danger  from  Tanna,  doing  all  in  his  power  for 
their  comfort,  though  fourteen  days  elapsed  before  his 
schooner,  the  Spec,  reached  Aneityum.^  Captain  Hast- 
ings sympathised  very  deeply  with  them  in  their  trouble. 
"  I  really  believe,"  he  wrote  to  me,  "  that  the  Tanna  men 
would  have  killed  them  all  that  day."  Dr.  Steel  remarks 
that  Captain  Hastings  "  was  popular  among  the  natives 
too,  and  some  in  the  labour-traffic  used  his  name  to  get 
men  on  board  ". 

Captain  Paddon,  who  then  owned  and  commanded  the 
Brigand,  whilst  on  a  voyage  to  China,  had  seen  a  vessel 
discharging  sandal-wood,  and,  being  a  shrewd  business 
man,  made  inquiries  and  found  out  where  it  was  col- 
lected and  what  barter  was  required.  Sailing  from 
New  Zealand  in  1843,  he  arrived  at  Mare  in  the  Loyalty 
Group,'^  and  while  on  that  island  had  a  hard  fight 
with  the  natives,  with  loss  of  life  on  both  sides.  Some 
time  later  Paddon  and  his  company,  in  the  Brigand  and 
Rover  s  Bride,  moved  over  to  the  small  island  near 
Aneityum,  from  there  working  Erromanga  and  the  Isle 
of  Pines,  off  the  coast  of  New  Caledonia.  He  succeeded 
very  well,  so  much  so  that  in  a  year  or  two  he  purchased 


34  ERROMANGA 

three  vessels,  one  being  a  steamer.  They  were  all 
totally  wrecked  in  a  hurricane  soon  afterwards,  and  new 
ships  had  to  be  bought.  "  His  intention,"  says  Captain 
Hastings,  "  was  to  take  the  engine  and  boilers  from  the 
steamer  and  make  her  into  a  sailer.  Then  to  erect  a 
sugar-mill  with  the  boiler  and  engine.  He  had  brought 
Mr.  Henry  from  Sydney  for  this  purpose,  as  smith  and 
engineer,  and  Mr.  Underwood  as  boat-builder." 

Later  on  Captain  Paddon  removed  to  Port  Resolution, 
on  Tanna,  and  from  thence  to  Erromanga,  where  the 
sandal-wood  was  so  plentiful,  and  where,  in  1855,  he 
took  Captain  Edwards  into  partnership  with  him.  The 
trade  on  this  island  at  that  time  must  have  been  very 
great,  "  many  thousands  of  tons  being  shipped  direct 
to  China  ".  The  profits,  too,  must  have  been  something 
enormous.  Captain  Hastings  says :  "  During  the  time  I 
was  in  the  trade — nine  years,  from  April,  1859,  until  May, 
1868 — the  sandal-wood  value  in  China  used  to  rise  and 
fall  frequently,  from  £^30  to  ^^50  per  ton.  In  nine  years 
our  firm  collected  1,600  tons,  which,  say  at  £40  per  ton, 
would  amount  to  ^^64,000.  The  vessels'  working  ex- 
penses, insurances,  wages,  cost  of  trade,  etc.,  were  con- 
siderable. I  often  used  to  work  it  up  to  see  what  our 
owner  was  clearing  in  the  business,  and  I  believe  his 
profits  to  have  been  ;£"22,400.  I  truly  believe  some  of 
the  other  firms  used  to  trade  and  get  their  wood  much 
cheaper  than  we  did.  How,  I  don't  wish  to  speak 
about,  but  you  have  often  heard  from  others  some  re- 
ports about  all  doings."  It  has  been  stated  that  on 
Erromanga  alone,  one  trader  made  the  almost  fabulous 
sum  of  ;^7  5,000. 

As  late  as  1 848,  the  year  of  Rev.  Dr.  Geddie's  arrival, 
and  long  afterwards,  tragic  events  in  connection  with  this 
trade  were  of  frequent  occurrence.  The  /o^n  Williams 
was  at  Port  Resolution,  on  Tanna,  when  Dr.   Geddie 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  35 

wrote  thus :  "  This  evening  a  brigantine  came  into  port. 
She  mounted  several  swivels  on  her  bulwarks,  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  turn  in  every  direction.  Her  appearance 
was  most  piratical.  She  proved  to  be  the  Terror,  of 
Sydney,  a  sandal-wood  trader,  just  from  the  island  of 
Erromanga.  Her  mate  and  some  of  the  crew  came  on 
board,  and  from  them  we  learnt  the  particulars  about  the 
sandal-wood  trade.  The  loss  of  life  in  this  traffic  is  very 
considerable.  Massacres  of  ships'  crews  are  now  of 
common  occurrence  on  sandal-wood  islands,  but  this  loss 
of  life  is  trifling  when  compared  to  that  of  the  natives. 
Erromanga  and  many  other  islands  have  been  deluged 
with  the  blood  of  their  own  inhabitants.  The  sandal- 
wood has  thrown  many  of  these  islands  into  such  a  state 
as  to  render  them  impervious  to  the  entrance  of  the 
Gospel.  On  Erromanga,  the  natives  have  vowed  that  no 
foreigner  shall  ever  live  among  them.  One  of  the 
teachers  came  off  to  us  from  the  west  side  of  the  harbour 
in  the  course  of  the  afternoon.  From  him  we  learned  the 
particulars  of  an  awful  tragedy.  A  native  of  Erro- 
manga, who  had  come  in  the  sandal-wood  trader,  had 
landed,  and  no  sooner  landed  than  he  was  killed, 
roasted,  and  eaten  by  the  Tannese.  Many  Tannese 
have  been  taken  to  Erromanga  by  vessels,  to  aid  in  the 
collection  of  sandal-wood,,  who  have  never  returned,  and 
so  the  Tannese  take  revenge  whenever  they  can ;  and, 
in  hke  manner,  if  a  Tannese  falls  into  the  hands  of  the 
Erromangans  his  doom  is  certain.  The  poor  Erro- 
mangan  should  never  have  been  sent  on  shore,  or  per- 
mitted to  leave  the  vessel,  for  those  on  board  must  have 
known  that  it  would  be  death  to  him." 

In  writing  of  this  sad  occurrence.  Dr.  Turner,  who 
was  also  on  board  the  John  Williams  at  the  same  time, 
remarks :  "  An  Erromangan  cannot  expect  to  live  five 
minutes  after  landing  anywhere   on   this  beach.     This 


2,6  ERROMANGA 

mate  himself  admits  this ;  says  he  has  seen  them  with 
his  own  eyes  massacred  on  shore  directly  after  landing. 
The  wonder,  then,  is  how  that  poor  man  was  taken  on 
shore  to-day.  We  can  hardly  imagine  his  going  of  his 
own  accord.  We  hear  that  the  party  on  board  this 
schooner  have  bought  upwards  of  twenty  cats  and  a 
dog  on  the  beach  to-day,  and  we  cannot  divest  our  minds 
of  the  dark  suspicion  that  that  poor  fellow  went  as  part- 
payment.  That  the  Tannese  are  capable  of  such  a  thing 
we  have  no  doubt,  and,  but  for  the  tales  of  these  sandal- 
wooders  themselves,  the  thought  would  never  have 
entered  into  our  heads  that  white  men  could  be  suspected 
even  of  such  inhuman  barbarities."  He  tells  that  a 
person  engaged  in  the  sandal-wood  trade  once  remarked 
to  him  :  "  Mr.  Turner,  seriously,  you  do  not  mean  to  say 
that  these  Erromangans  are  men  ! " 

In  February,  1848,  the  Elizabeth  went  ashore  in  a 
gale  at  Dillon's  Bay ;  all  the  white  men  were  drowned 
but  two,  and  these  two  were  killed  by  the  Erromangans 
as  soon  as  they  got  ashore.  The  natives  still  point  out 
the  high,  jagged  rock  on  which  the  ill-fated  ship  struck. 
One  of  the  men,  they  say,  managed  to  go  out  on  the 
yard-arm,  which  had  caught  in  some  scrubby  trees  on 
the  ledge  of  the  rock.  After  great  difficulty  in  the 
terrible  gale,  he  reached  the  shore,  but  only  to  meet 
his  death.  Two  Polynesians  belonging  to  the  ship 
escaped  inland ;  one,  however,  was  caught  and  killed 
immediately.  His  companion,  when  discovered,  felt  sure 
that  he  was  doomed.  To  his  surprise,  the  natives  said, 
they  spared  his  life.  He  was  taken  to  a  southern  village, 
kindly  treated  and  well  fed  by  the  old  chief,  Ungkerilo. 
But  for  what  purpose  ?  One  day,  all  unsuspecting,  the 
poor  man  was  killed  by  his  treacherous  host,  and  his 
body  devoured  at  the  next  cannibal  feast. 

Here  is  another  case  mentioned  by  Turner:  A  ship's 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  37 

boat  had  been  seized  by  the  natives  of  a  spot  fifteen 
miles  south  of  Dillon's  Bay.  "  They  were  out  in  deep 
water,  but  the  natives  upset  the  boat.  One  of  the  crew 
clung  to  the  keel  and  was  killed  directly.  The  rest  swam 
out  to  sea  towards  the  vessel.  They  had  a  current  in 
their  favour,  and,  as  the  natives  were  busy  picking  up 
the  contents  of  the  boat,  they  escaped.  One  of  them 
was  four  hours  in  the  water,  and  has  been  insensible 
ever  since.  Another,  who  had  a  blow  on  the  head  from 
a  tomahawk,  is  also  out  of  his  mind." 

This  awful  bloodshed!  It  seemed  as  if  there  was 
never  to  be  an  end.  And,  in  these  instances,  we  see  that 
the  fault  lay  with  the  cruel  savages  of  Erromanga  and 
not  with  their  poor  victims.  The  islanders  at  that 
time  were  in  a  state  of  constant  warfare  with  the  sandal- 
wooders.  Dr.  Turner  writes  :  "  They  have  now  a  daring 
scheme  of  getting  under  the  boat  and  upsetting  it. 
They  go  off,  swimming  with  one  arm,  a  tomahawk  under 
the  other,  and  a  log  of  sandal-wood  as  a  bait.  While 
the  log  is  being  hauled  into  the  boat,  they  dive  under 
the  keel,  tip  it  over,  and  then  go  at  the  white  men  with 
their  tomahawks.  The  guns  of  the  ship  are  then 
loaded,  some  natives  shot,  and  thus  goes  on  the  per- 
petual war." 

Captain  Hastings  says  :  "  A  number  of  vessels  used  to 
work  Erromanga,  and,  when  full  of  wood,  go  straight 
on  to  China.  The  Sir  John  Byng,  Captain  Forbes,  and 
the  Freak,  Captain  Burns,  made  two  voyages  each,  and 
the  proceeds  of  the  sandal-wood  went  a  long  way  in 
purchasing  a  return  cargo  of  tea  and  goods  for  Sydney. 
These  vessels  all  carried  white  crews.  In  my  time  the 
greater  proportion  was  of  natives."  He  mentions  that 
the  trade  in  most  request  at  Tanna  was  muskets,  powder, 
caps,  tomahawks,  knives,  fish-hooks,  red  ochre,^  pipes, 
tobacco,  shot,  and  tortoise-shell  (with  which  the  natives 


38  ERROMANGA 

made  ear-rings).  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Tannese 
dispensed  with  such  trifles  as  calico  and  prints  for  dress, 
but  at  some  of  the  other  islands  these  were  in  great 
demand.  "  The  calico  was  sold  in  fathoms,  and  the  pur- 
chaser liked  to  measure  it  himself,  or  to  get  a  long-armed 
friend  to  do  it  for  him." 

In  addition  to  sandal-wood,  hogs  were  purchased  at 
several  places.  "  We  paid  four  fathoms  (or  eight  yards) 
for  a  hog,  weighing  about  90  or  100  lb. ;  for  a  large 
turkey,  three  yards  of  navy  blue,  and  sometimes,  when 
hogs  were  plentiful,  the  Frenchmen  would  offer  for  each 
one  yard — value  fivepence.  It  was  astonishing  to  see 
the  number  of  pigs  taken  from  Tanna  alone.  In  1865, 
an  agent  took  from  that  island  1,500,  and  another  vessel 
took  1,600.  There  were  three  vessels  besides,  which,  I 
suppose,  collected  nearly  the  same  number ;  so,  at  these 
figures,  the  Tannese  must  have  sold  to  traders  in  that 
particular  year  about  8,000  pigs." 

Sandal-wood  was  not  found  on  all  the  New  Hebridean 
islands.  Captain  Hastings  says  :  "  I  landed  seventy  men 
on  Malekula,  Aurora  and  Sandwich  islands,  but  could 
not  succeed  in  finding  any  except  at  Sandwich,  and  that 
very  small  and  inferior  to  the  wood  of  Erromanga  and 
Santo."  At  the  present  time,  the  tree,  once  so  plentiful, 
is  fast  disappearing,  and  we  have  little  to  remind  us 
that  at  one  time  the  sandal-wood  grew  on  every  hill  and 
clustered  in  every  valley  of  Erromanga.  It  is  indigenous 
to  the  soil,  and  grows  to  greater  height  and  strength 
among  the  inland  mountains  than  along  the  sea-shore. 
In  appearance  the  bark,  which  is  rough  and  of  a  light- 
brown  colour,  is  somewhat  like  that  of  the  cherry  tree. 
The  narrow  leaves,  which  are  of  a  rich  green  tint  and 
smooth  shiny  surface,  are  not  more  than  three  inches  in 
length.  They  stand  out  straight  from  the  stalk  and  in 
peculiar  regularity — four  columns  of  leaves,   each   leaf 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  39 

exactly  opposite  another.  There  is  no  odour  until  the 
tree  is  cut,  and  the  very  young  limbs  have  none  at  all. 
It  is  said  that,  unless  the  bark  is  removed,  the  wood 
loses  the  sweet  scent  and  becomes  useless.  The  great 
inland  trees  grow  to  a  height  of  from  forty  to  sixty  ft., 
the  circumference  of  the  largest  being  about  six  ft.  The 
average  is  about  four  ft.  The  mountain  sandal-wood 
is  always  the  finest  and  has  the  richest  odour.  It  is 
exceedingly  hard  to  work. 

We  can  very  rarely  now  secure  even  a  fairly  large 
and  good  specimen.  The  sandal-wood  is  fast  becoming 
a  thing  of  the  past,  for  the  traders  "  killed  the  goose 
that  laid  the  golden  egg  ". 

Inter-tribal  wars,  too,  have  helped  to  destroy  the  tree, 
and  the  habit  that  natives  have  of  setting  fire  to  any- 
thing and  everything  has  nearly  completed  the  ruin. 
About  three  miles  from  us  on  the  high  table-land  above 
the  Dillon's  Bay  valley,  there  is  a  fine  forest  of  young 
trees  that  I  have  tried  in  vain  to  preserve.  They  grow 
to  a  fair  height,  and  then  a  man  will  light  a  fire  near  by, 
sometimes  for  warmth  when  he  is  sleeping  on  the  road- 
side without  shelter,  oftener  in  sheer  carelessness  and 
without  troubling  about  consequences — and  the  beauti- 
ful trees  are  soon  smouldering  to  the  ground.  The 
natives  do  not  seem  to  be  able  to  sympathise  with  our 
desire  to  preserve  anything  for  its  beauty  alone,  or  for 
the  sake  of  old  island-memories. 

From  about  the  time  that  Paddon  and  Edwards 
opened  the  trading  station  at  Dillon's  Bay  in  the  early 
"  fifties "  until  about  fifteen  years  later,  the  trade  in 
sandal-wood  was  in  full  vigour.  The  natives  began  to 
know  its  value,  and  took  care  that  they  got  the  worth 
of  the  treasure  in  return.  During  the  time  that  Cap- 
tain Edwards  was  on  this  island.  Captains  Mair  and 
Ross  were  also  engaged   in   sandal-wooding.     Paddon, 


40  ERROMANGA 

soon  after  the  removal  from  Aneityum,  gave  up  the 
island  trade  and  crossed  over  to  Noumea  in  New  Cale- 
donia,, where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1863.  Captain 
Edwards  bought  a  tract  of  land  some  distance  up  the 
Dillon's  Bay  valley,  and  built  a  good  weather-board 
house,  with  a  thatched  roof.  He  afterwards  moved  that 
house  further  down  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  where 
it  stood  for  about  twenty  years,  and  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  mission  after  the  Henrys  left  Erromanga. 
He  also  built  a  small  house  on  the  high  mountain  over- 
looking the  north  bank  of  the  river,  and  it  was  there, 
I  believe,  that  most  of  his  time  was  spent.  After  being 
some  years  on  Erromanga,  he  took  Mr.  Henry  into 
partnership. 

From  all  I  have  heard  from  missionaries  and  others, 
and  judging  also  by  their  own  life  on  the  island  and  the 
accounts  which  the  natives  give,  both  Captain  Edwards 
and  Mr.  Henry  must  have  been  very  different  from  the 
early  sandal-wooders  of  whom  there  has  been  occasion 
to  speak.  The  natives  in  their  employ  were  Lifu^  and 
Sandwich  island  men,  and,  I  suppose,  also  some  Erro- 
mangans,  though  every  one  knows  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  get  a  man  to  work  steadily  and  well  on  his 
own  island.  With  regard  to  native  crews,  Captain  Hast- 
ings says :  "  I  always  preferred  the  Loyalty  islanders ; 
they  soon  became  smart  seamen,  and  very  intelligent  in 
the  rules  for  working  and  steering.  Erromangans  were 
good  boat-hands.  For  hard-working  and  steady  station 
hands,  the  Tannese  and  Sandwich  islanders  we  always 
found  good,  but  not  at  their  respective  islands.  During 
my  nine  years'  experience  I  had  tried  men,  I  think, 
from  nearly  all  the  islands  in  the  group,  and  never  had 
any  difficulty  or  trouble  with  them.  As  to  dealing  with 
the  natives  of  the  New  Hebrides,  we  found  those  of 
Santo  the  most  peaceful  and  reliable ;  we  were  able  to 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  41 

land  there  at  all  times,  and  I  have  often  been  several 
miles  back  from  the  sea,  and  was  always  treated  kindly 
by  all  that  I  met." '» 

Speaking  particularly  of  his  own  trading,  he  says : 
"  Our  principal  island  for  sandal-wood  was  Santo  ;  I  had 
very  little  to  do  with  Erromanga.  It  was  a  few  days 
after  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  were  murdered  that  I  began 
to  trade  there,  and  landed  a  party  at  Cook's  Bay,  sup- 
plying some  Erromangans  with  trade  at  other  parts  of 
the  coast  outside  the  bay.  However,  our  speculation 
was  not  a  success,  and  I  was  not  sorry,  for  it  was  difficult 
and  dangerous  to  work  Cook's  Bay  with  a  dull,  sailing 
vessel.  I  had  several  all-night  thrashings  from  storms, 
and  felt  very  grateful  on  each  occasion  when  clear  of  the 
bay." 

Captain  Edwards  opened  up  a  considerable  number  of 
stations  on  the  island,  settling  men — white  and  black — 
to  collect  the  sandal-wood  at  each  place.  Sometimes 
the  arrival  of  the  ships  would  be  long  delayed,  and  pro- 
visions, of  course,  be  extremely  low.  In  such  cases,  it 
often  happened  that  the  natives  of  other  islands  in  the 
employ  of  the  traders  would,  in  sheer  starvation,  go 
to  the  Erromangan  plantations,  steal  bananas  and  yams, 
and  cook  them  for  themselves.  The  Erromangans,  in 
anger,  would  lie  in  wait  for  them,  and  kill  the  first 
foreigner  that  crossed  their  path.  In  this  way  there 
was  constant  fighting — Erromangans,  Efatese  and  others 
being  killed  in  great  numbers. 

One  of  the  most  vigorous  and  one  of  the  worst 
characters  among  these  sandal-wooders  was  Rangi 
Toriki,  a  brown  Polynesian.^^  He  was  a  big,  powerfully 
built  man,  clever  to  cunningness,  and  with  his  stern, 
commanding  manner  he  exerted  a  strong  influence  on 
all  around  him.     He  could  make  the  natives  do  simply 


42  ERROMANGA 

anything  that  he  told  them.  The  Erromangans  say  that 
his  strong,  giant  voice  would  roar  at  them  when  he  was 
speaking  of  the  most  trivial  matters ;  it  made  them 
"  shake  and  tremble  all  over  ".  His  son  Owang's  voice, 
they  say,  is  weak  when  compared  with  it.  What  must 
Rangi's  voice  have  been!  Owang  does  not  speak  at 
all ;  he  simply  shouts.  He  is  the  only  living  son,  and 
has  been  with  us  as  man  and  boy  for  twenty-seven 
years. 

That  Polynesian  had  twelve  Erromangan  wives — all 
of  them  the  daughters  of  chiefs — and  by  this  means  he 
gained  a  great  deal  of  influence  over  the  people  of  their 
different  districts.  Some  of  his  wives  he  bought  with 
cahco,  axes,  guns,  etc. ;  others  he  gained  in  war.  He 
had  many  fights  with  the  surrounding  tribes,  and,  with 
scarcely  an  exception,  the  powerful  foreigner  was 
victor.  In  such  cases  he  would  demand  the  daughter 
of  the  chief  as  a  token  of  his  submission.  Owang  gives 
me  the  names  of  nine  of  his  "  mothers,"  ^^  viz.  :  Natuvia, 
Walepo,  Horihori,  Lalim,  Utevo  (his  real  mother),  Ohai, 
Wosevo,  Nampuon  and  Woleplep.  About  Ohai,  the 
daughter  of  the  high  chief  of  Soki  and  an  exceptional 
woman,  more  must  be  told  later  on.  Rangi  was  first 
settled  away  in  the  mountain  district,  near  a  beautiful 
stream,  at  the  spot  called  Nuru-milungos.  Any  amount 
of  sandal-wood  could  be  gathered  there,  and  the  natives 
under  the  great  man  were  kept  hard  at  work. 

Later  on,  his  station  was  moved  to  Elizabeth  Bay, 
and  on  the  small  hill-top  Fui,  where  we  have  now  had  a 
tiny  cottage  for  years,  Rangi  built  his  dwelling-house  and 
store-rooms.  The  rooms  were  plastered  with  lime  inside, 
and  on  the  outside  weather-boarded ;  they  were  large 
and  commodious.  He  had  a  horse  of  his  own,  cattle 
in  numbers,  pigs,  dogs,  and  poultry  of  all  kinds — and 
with  his  harem  of  wives,  his  children,  stores,  and  his 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  43 

following,  he  held  the  position  of  a  powerful  chief,  and 
was  feared  and  hated  by  the  people  of  the  island.  He 
was  a  bad  man ;  and  it  is  amusing  and  yet  pleasing  to 
hear  his  son  speak  of  him  as  a  man  who  yiever  did  any 
harm!  And,  indeed,  most  natives  will  say  the  same, 
when  speaking  of  their  own  relations.  I  have  heard 
men,  and  good  men  too,  speaking  of  their  fathers — some 
of  the  greatest  old  scamps  that  ever  lived — as  if  they 
were  half-way  on  the  road  to  holiness  long  before  the 
missionaries  were  heard  of. 

When  Rangi  went  on  his  expeditions  inland,  he  left 
his  camp  at  Fui  in  charge  of  his  twelve  wives.  "  We, 
the  children,  were  quite  small,"  says  Owang,  "  but  I 
remember  how  he  used  to  give  the  women  their  guns 
and  say :  '  Take  care  of  my  house  and  my  noete}"^  "  pro- 
perty," and,  if  any  one  comes  to  steal,  shoot  him!  '  "  He 
talked  Erromangan  like  a  native,  and  spoke  and  under- 
stood English  quite  as  well.  After  being  several  years 
on  the  island,  working  well,  for  he  was  far  from  being 
a  lazy  man,  things  became  "  too  hot "  for  Rangi ;  and 
he  found  that  a  change  of  residence  would  be  desirable. 
I  believe  he  got  mixed  up  in  native  disputes,  and,  having 
many  secret  enemies,  feared  that  he  might  be  over- 
powered. Wives,  children,  horses  and  stores  were  moved 
to  Havannah  harbour  on  Efate,  and  here  again  he 
started  the  sandal-wood  business.  But  from  the  first 
he  had  to  be  on  his  guard  with  the  Efatese.  Seeing 
that  he  had  a  large  amount  of  property,  they  agreed  to 
give  him  another  wife  in  return  for  some  of  it.  When 
Rangi's  pay  arrived,  they  were  dissatisfied,  claiming  that 
it  was  too  small  for  the  fine  bride  he  had  received.  But 
not  another  article  would  he  give,  and  set  to  work  instead 
to  fortify  his  dwelling  from  their  attacks. 

He  was  killed  at  last  by  a  man  living  near  Havannah 
Harbour — one  of  his  many  enemies.     This  man  came 


44  ERROMANGA 

lo  the  barricaded  dwelling  one  day,  calling  to  the  trader 
to  look  at  some  sandal-wood  that  he  had  brought,  and 
that  was  lying  some  distance  away.  All  seemed  fair, 
and  Rangi,  though  somewhat  suspicious,  ventured  out, 
but  as  he  went  out  he  called  to  one  of  his  wives  :  "  Lalim, 
follow  me,  and  bring  a  gun."  When  the  Erromangan 
woman  reached  the  spot,  the  stranger  alone  was  there. 

"  Where  is  my  husband .-'  "  she  asked  in  fear. 

"  Oh !  he  is  not  here,"  the  man  replied ;  "  he  has 
gone  "  ;  and,  making  a  dash  at  the  poor  woman  with  his 
heavy  gun,  he  killed  her  instantly.  The  husband  had 
been  murdered  just  before  she  came,  and  his  body 
hurriedly  carried  off  by  accomplices. 

Rangi's  remaining  wives  and  their  children  were  most 
kindly  treated  by  a  chief  of  Efate,  named  Maritimelo, 
who  saw  that  no  harm  came  to  them.  A  short  time 
afterwards,  some  of  them  returned  to  Erromanga  in  the 
Dayspring}'^  others  following  in  a  trading  ship.  It  is 
only  in  speaking  of  this  stay  on  Efate  that  Owang  puts 
the  least  blame  on  his  father. 

"  He  never  did  any  harm  here,"  he  asserts ;  "  he  was 
always  kind  to  us  and  to  the  people." 

"  And  why  did  the  Efatese  kill  him.?"  we  ask. 

The  poor  fellow's  head  droops. 

"  For  his  own  bad  work"  is  the  half-shamed  reply. 

One  cannot  but  admire  the  love  that  will  try  to  shield 
the  name  of  even  a  bad  father  from  disgrace. 

In  many  ways  Owang,  who  is  now  about  forty  years 
of  age,  though  he  looks  much  younger,  is  like  his  father, 
though  a  far  better  man.  If  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to 
be  a  bit  of  a  scamp,  who  won't  hesitate  to  tell  a  lie — or 
two  or  three  of  them,  if  necessary — unreliable,  yet  most 
to  be  depended  on  in  an  emergency,  and  one  of  the 
most  lovable  of  our  people,  then  Owang  is  that  man. 


THE  TRADE  IN  SANDAL-WOOD  45 

He  is  of  no  value  as  a  regular  servant ;  there  is  too 
much  of  the  slap-dash  style  about  him. 

He  will  paint  my  whole  house,  inside  and  out,  in  less 
time  than  a  dozen  Erromangans,  but — I  would  not  care 
to  say  much  in  praise  of  the  painting  when  it  is  done. 
He  must  have  a  small  army  of  boys  at  his  heels,  what- 
ever he  is  doing,  and  not  one  of  them,  big  or  little,  will 
dare  to  dispute  with  or  disobey  him.  Under  my  train- 
ing he  has  become  a  good  carpenter,  can  lay  a  floor  as 
well  as  any  man,  is  quick,  energetic  and  always  willing. 

Whenever  I  engage  him  to  do  any  special  job,  I  take 
good  care  to  tell  him  first,  "  No  boys,  Owang ;  I  don't 
want  any  one  but  yourself  ". 

"  Very  well,  Misi,"  ^^  is  the  reply ;  but  somehow  or 
other  an  hour  or  so  later  there  seem  to  be  far  more 
arms  and  legs  in  attendance  on  Owang  than  I  bargained 
for. 

"What's  this!  what's  this!  boys?"  I  exclaim;  "I 
thought  I  said  that  none  of  you  were  to  come  here." 

"  Oh !  that  one  has  just  brought  me  some  nails,"  says 
Owang,  as  he  points  to  a  big  boy  near  him,  "  but  these 
others  are  all  over  the  place  and  in  my  way.  Clear  out, 
every  one  of  you,"  he  shouts ;  "  out  of  my  way ;  how 
can  I  work  when  you  are  tramping  all  over  the  floor  ?  " 

They  scamper  off  like  so  many  rats,  but  Owang  has 
one  boy  left  and  is  happy. 

He  is  a  splendid  fellow  at  a  pinch ;  never  forgets  the 
boat  in  the  river  on  a  stormy  night,  but  will  be  out 
in  a  cold,  drenching  rain,  trying  to  make  things  safe 
and  give  us  help.  I  have  known  him  to  swim  out,  of 
his  own  accord,  on  a  dark  night,  with  the  river  rushing 
like  a  torrent,  to  see  that  the  anchor  was  secure,  and  if 
there  is  danger  threatening  us  or  any  belonging  to  us, 
we  know  that  Owang  will  be  at  hand.  He  is  a  kind 
husband  and  an  affectionate  father  to  his  three   little 


46  ERROMANGA 

children,  and  will  spend  his  money  as  soon  as  it  is 
earned  in  comforts  for  his  family.  In  appearance  he  is 
tall,  well-built,  with  square,  broad  shoulders,  and  with  his 
fair  complexion,^^  good  features,  and  straight,  black  hair 
is  really  a  fine-looking  man. 

Owang  has  never  left  us,  except  once  or  twice  as 
boat's  crew  in  the  Dayspring,  and  once,  I  think,  as 
boat's  crew  in  a  labour  vessel.  Again  and  again,  re- 
cruiters have  tried  to  get  him  as  a  permanent  hand  on 
the  ships,  but  have  never  succeeded.  They  know  that, 
if  Owang  were  to  help  in  recruiting,  he  could  induce 
nearly  every  boy  on  the  island  to  go  to  Queensland  as 
labour  men  ^^  on  the  sugar  plantations.  Fortunately  for 
himself  and  the  Erromangans,  Owang  is  too  firm  a  friend 
to  us,  and  has  always  refused  to  take  part  in  such  a 
"calling". 


JOHN  WII,I,IAMS. 


[Page  47 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA. 

The  first  attempt  to  make  known  the  Gospel  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  New  Hebrides  was  made  in  November, 
1839,  when  John  Wilhams,  the  "Apostle  of  Polynesia," 
laid  down  his  life  on  the  shore  of  Erromanga.  His 
thoughts  had  turned  to  this  dark  Erromanga  for  many 
years,  and  he  longed  to  tell  its  ignorant  people  about 
God's  love  and  about  His  dear  Son,  who  had  died  for 
them.  He  trusted  that  the  teachers  ^  he  had  on  board, 
who  had  so  nobly  offered  to  go  to  these  isles,  might 
by  their  words,  and  not  less  by  their  exemplary  lives, 
bring  the  degraded  people  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Saviour. 
God  had  planned  otherwise ;  and  had  ordained  that 
John  Williams,  by  his  glorious  death,  should  show  forth 
this  wonderful  love  divine,  not  only  to  the  unhappy 
people  who  caused  his  death,  but  to  the  whole  world ; 
for  the  testimony  which  he  sealed  with  his  blood  roused 
Christians  everywhere  to  be  "  up  and  doing  ". 

It  was  after  about  twenty-two  years  of  laborious 
mission-work  in  the  Eastern  Pacific  that  Williams  made 
his  fatal  visit  to  the  New  Hebrides.  Under  the  auspices 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  he  had  done  a  vast 
amount  of  pioneering  among  many  of  the  Eastern 
islands,  had  lived  at  Raiatea  for  years,  had  discovered 
Rarotonga  and  commenced  the  mission  there,  and  built 
the  Messenger  of  Peace  during  his  stay  on  that 
island ;    he  had  also  opened  up   Samoa  and  numerous 

(47) 


48  ERROMANGA 

other  fields.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Campbell,  in  his  Martyr 
of  Erronianga,  says  :  "  A  spirit  of  adventure  strongly 
marked  the  character  of  Williams.  His  undaunted  soul 
bore  him  through  a  multitude  of  difficulties  which  would 
have  deterred  most  men  ". 

In  a  letter  written  as  early  as  1821,  the  first  outline  of 
his  scheme  for  visiting  the  many  isles  of  the  Pacific 
appeared.  It  is  interesting  to  note  with  what  ardour 
Williams  spoke  of  this  plan,  how  his  anxiety  to  reach 
these  lands  never  abated  but  rather,  month  by  month, 
year  by  year,  increased.  "  A  missionary,"  he  wrote, 
"was  never  designed  by  Jesus  Christ  to  gather  a  con- 
gregation of  a  hundred  or  two  natives,  and  sit  down  at 
his  ease,  as  contented  as  if  every  sinner  was  converted, 
while  thousands  around  him,  and  but  a  few  miles  off, 
are  eating  each  other's  flesh  and  drinking  each  other's 
blood,  living  and  dying  without  the  Gospel.  For  my 
own  part  I  cannot  content  myself  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  a  single  reef." 

In  1830,  a  long  voyage  was  taken,  and  the  New 
Hebrides  were  to  be  visited.  But  at  Tonga  news  was 
heard  that  made  this  impossible.  On  account  of  gross 
and  heartless  injuries  inflicted  upon  the  natives  of  Erro- 
manga  by  Britishers  and  Americans,  the  people  were 
roused  to  a  pitch  of  madness,  and  were  prepared  to 
revenge  themselves  on  any  strangers  who  might  ap- 
proach their  shores.  Mr.  Williams's  decision  to  re- 
linquish his  purpose  to  visit  Erromanga,  on  hearing  of 
the  sad  state  of  affairs  there,  has  been  commented  upon 
by  the  Rev.  E.  Prout  as  a  "  remarkable  circumstance 
when  considered  in  connection  with  his  subsequent  his- 
tory and  tragical  end  ".  But  for  the  intelligence  received 
from  Mr.  Henry,  Mr.  Williams  would  have  then  placed 
himself  within  the  power  of  the  very  people,  who,  when 
at  length  he  carried  his  benevolent  project  into  effect, 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  49 

wreaked  their  vengeance  upon  his  innocent  head,  in  re- 
taliation for  wrongs  perpetrated  so  long  before  by  others. 

It  was  not  until  November  of  1839,  that  his  "great 
voyage  "  was  begun.  Contrary  to  Mr.  Williams's  usual 
sanguine  nature,  he  became  strangely  sad  and  depressed 
as  the  time  of  his  departure  drew  near.  It  seemed  as 
if  the  shadow  of  the  future  was  shrouding  and  envelop- 
ing his  very  soul ;  everything — the  tearful  looks  of  his 
people,  the  unwonted  gloom — was  a  remarkable  con- 
trast to  his  former  leave-takings.  On  his  last  Sabbath, 
the  last  which  he  was  ever  to  spend  with  his  devoted 
wife  and  family,  John  Williams  preached  from  Acts  xx. 
36-38,  specially  referring  to  the  words,  "  And  they  all 
wept  sore  and  fell  upon  Paul's  neck  and  kissed  him, 
sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he  spake 
that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more ".  The  scene 
was  a  solemn  one,  and  all  present  were  deeply  affected. 
That  same  night,  at  midnight,  he  bade  his  loved  ones 
a  sorrowful  good-bye  ;  never  before  had  this  deep  gloom 
prevailed,  and  all  hearts  were  heavy  and  sad.  Williams 
knew  that  it  was  his  long  farewell. 

Accompanying  him  in  the  Camden'^  was  Mr.  Harris, 
a  young  man  who,  while  on  a  voyage  in  search  of  health, 
had  become  so  deeply  interested  in  the  mission  that  he 
had  resolved  to  return  to  England  to  offer  himself  to 
the  Society,  and,  if  accepted,  give  his  life  to  the  great 
work  of  telling  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen.  Mr.  Cun- 
ningham, a  naturalist,  was  also  a  passenger.  On  the 
1 6th  of  November,  Mr.  Williams  wrote  to  a  friend  thus : 
"  I  have  just  heard  dear  Captain  Morgan  say  that  we 
are  sixty  miles  off  the  New  Hebrides,  so  that  we  should 
be  there  early  to-morrow  morning.  This  evening  we 
are  to  have  a  special  prayer-meeting.  Oh !  how  much 
depends  upon  the  efforts  of  to-morrow.  Will  the 
savages  receive  us   or  not.?     Perhaps  at  this  moment 


50  ERROMANGA 

you  or  some  other  kind  friend  may  be  wrestling  with 
God  for  us.  The  approaching  week  is  to  me  the  most 
important  of  my  hfe." 

Futiina  was  reached  the  next  day,  and,  on  the  i8th, 
the  Camden  anchored  off  Port  Resolution,  on  Tanna. 
Here  three  Samoan  teachers  were  left,  and  thus  the 
first  step  taken  towards  the  evangelisation  of  these 
islands.  Towards  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  the  19th, 
the  ship  drew  near  the  coast  of  Erromanga.  She  lay-to 
during  the  night,  and  the  next  day,  the  20th,  was  the 
day  on  which  they  hoped  to  land.  Though  cheered  by 
his  favourable  reception  on  Tanna  and  Futuna,  Mr. 
Williams  was  still  feehng  sad  and  depressed,  and  when 
morning  broke  told  Mr.  Cunningham  that  he  had  passed 
a  sleepless  night,  thinking  of  the  great  importance  of 
the  work  which  he  was  about  to  undertake.  He  feared 
that  it  might  be  hard  of  accomplishment. 

A  remarkable  entry  occurs  here  in  Mr.  Williams's 
journal.  It  is  dated  "Monday  morning,  i8th,"  but  from 
many  circumstances  it  is  evident  that  it  was  written  on 
Monday  evening,  after  the  landing  of  the  teachers  on 
Tanna,  when  his  mind  was  full  of  thoughts  of  the  privi- 
lege of  having  been  permitted  to  begin  that  mission, 
and,  it  would  seem,  also,  imbued  with  a  spirit  of  almost 
prophetic  vision  of  the  tragic  event  which  was  to  follow. 
His  last  written  words  were :  "  This  is  a  memorable 
day,  a  day  which  will  be  transmitted  to  posterity,  and 
the  record  of  the  events  which  have  this  day  transpired 
will  exist  after  those  who  have  taken  an  active  part  in 
them  have  retired  into  the  shades  of  oblivion,  and  the 
results  of  this  day  will  be " 

Soon  after  the  conversation  with  Mr.  Cunningham, 
the  boat  left  the  ship  with  the  missionaries,  and  in  it 
were  Messrs.  Williams  and  Harris,  Mr.  Cunningham, 
Captain  Morgan  and  four  sailors.     The  Captain  after- 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  51 

wards  wrote  thus :  "  On  reaching  Dillon's  Bay,  we  saw 
a  canoe  paddling  along  shore  with  three  men  in  her, 
and  by  Mr.  Williams's  desire  we  lowered  down  the  whale- 
boat  ;  ...  we  spoke  to  the  men  in  the  canoe,  and  found 
them  to  be  a  far  different  race  of  people  to  those  at 
Tanna,  their  complexion  being  darker,  and  their  stature 
shorter;  they  were  wild  in  their  appearance  and  ex- 
tremely shy.  .  .  .  We  pulled  up  the  bay,  and  some  of 
the  natives  on  shore  ran  along  the  rocks  after  the 
boat.  On  reaching  the  head  of  the  bay,  we  saw  several 
natives  standing  at  a  distance ;  we  made  signs  to  them 
to  come  towards  us,  but  they  made  signs  for  us  to  go 
away.  We  threw  them  some  beads  on  shore,  which 
they  eagerly  picked  up,  and  came  a  little  closer  and 
received  from  us  some  fish-hooks,  and  beads,  and  a 
small  looking-glass.  On  coming  to  a  beautiful  valley 
between  the  mountains,  having  a  small  run  of  water, 
we  wished  to  ascertain  if  it  was  fresh,  and  we  gave  the 
chief  a  boat-bucket  to  fetch  us  some,  and  in  about  half 
an  hour  he  returned,  running  with  the  water,  which,  I 
think,  gave  Mr.  Williams  and  myself  more  confidence 
in  the  natives.  They  ran  and  brought  us  some  cocoa- 
nuts,  but  were  still  extremely  shy.  Mr.  Williams  drank 
off  the  water  the  native  brought,  and  I  held  his  hat 
to  screen  him  from  the  sun.  He  seemed  pleased  with 
the  natives,  and  attributed  their  shyness  to  the  ill-treat- 
ment they  must  have  received  from  foreigners  visiting 
the  island  on  some  former  occasion.  Mr.  Cunningham 
asked  him  if  he  thought  of  going  on  shore.  I  think  he 
said  he  should  not  have  the  slightest  fear,  and  then  re- 
marked to  me :  *  Captain,  you  know  we  like  to  take 
possession  of  the  land,  and  if  we  can  only  leave  good 
impressions  on  the  minds  of  the  natives  we  can  come 
again  and  leave  teachers ;  we  must  be  content  to  do  a 
little '.  .  .  .  Mr.  Harris  asked  him  if  he  might  go  on  shore, 


52  ERROMANGA 

or  if  he  had  any  objection.  He  said,  '  No,  not  any '. 
Mr.  Harris  then  waded  on  shore ;  as  soon  as  he  landed 
the  natives  ran  from  him,  but  Mr.  Wilhams  told  him  to 
sit  down.  He  did  so,  and  the  natives  came  close  to 
him,  and  brought  him  some  cocoanuts  and  opened  them 
for  him  to  drink.  Mr.  Williams  remarked  that  he  saw 
a  number  of  native  boys  playing,  and  thought  it  a  good 
sign  as  implying  that  the  natives  had  no  bad  intentions  ; 
I  said  I  thought  so  too,  but  I  would  rather  see  some 
women  also ;  because  when  the  natives  resolve  on  mis- 
chief they  send  the  women  out  of  the  way ;  there  were 
no  women  on  the  beach." 

All  this  time  Mr.  Williams  had  been  sitting  in  the 
boat ;  he  now  landed,  offering  his  hand  to  the  natives. 
But  they  hung  back,  and  seemed  averse  to  meeting  his 
friendly  advances.  The  following  description,  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  Cunningham,  will  tell,  better  than  any  words 
of  mine  could  do,  the  awful  tragedy  that  followed. 

"  Mr.  Williams  called  for  a  few  pieces  of  print,  which 
he  divided  in  small  pieces  to  throw  around  him.  Mr. 
Hams  said  he  wished  to  have  a  stroll  inland,  which  was 
not  objected  to,  and  he  walked  on,  followed  by  a  party 
of  the  natives.  Mr.  Williams  and  I  followed,  directing 
our  course  up  the  side  of  the  brook.  The  looks  and 
manners  of  the  savages  I  much  distrusted,  and  remarked 
to  Mr.  Williams  that  probably  we  had  to  dread  the 
revenge  of  the  natives  in  consequence  of  their  former 
quarrels  with  strangers,  wherein,  perhaps,  some  of  their 
friends  had  been  killed.  Mr.  Williams,  I  think,  did  not 
return  me  an  answer,  being  engaged  at  the  instant  re- 
peating the  Samoan  numerals  to  a  crowd  of  boys,  one 
of  whom  was  repeating  them  after  him.  I  was  also 
trying  to  get  the  names  of  a  few  things  around  us,  and 
walked  onward.  Finding  a  few  shells  lying  on  the  bank, 
I  picked  them  up.     On  noticing  they  were  of  a  species 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  53 

unknown  to  me,  I  was  in  the  act  of  putting  them  into 
my  pocket  when  I  heard  a  yell,  and  instantly  Mr.  Harris 
rushed  out  of  the  bushes  about  twenty  yards  before  me. 
I  instantly  perceived  it  was  run  or  die. 

"  I  shouted  CO  Mr.  Williams  (he  being  as  far  behind 
me  as  Mr.  Harris  was  in  advance),  and  I  sprang  forward 
through  the  natives  that  were  on  the  banks  of  the 
brook,  who  all  gave  way.  I  looked  round,  and  saw 
Mr.  Harris  fall  in  the  brook,  and  the  water  dash  over 
him,  a  number  of  savages  beating  him  with  clubs.  Mr. 
Williams  did  not  run  at  the  instant  I  called  to  him, 
till  we  heard  a  shell  blow ;  ^  it  was  an  instant,  but  too 
much  to  lose.  I  again  called  to  Mr.  Williams  to  run, 
and  I  sprang  forward  for  the  boat,  which  was  out  of 
sight ;  it  was  round  a  point  of  bush.  Mr.  Williams, 
instead  of  making  for  the  boat,  ran  directly  down  the 
beach  into  the  water,  and  a  savage  after  him.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  Mr.  Williams's  intention  was  to  swim  off  until 
the  boat  picked  him  up.  At  the  instant  I  sighted  the 
boat,  I  heard  a  yell  behind  me,  and,  looking  round 
found  a  savage  close  after  me,  with  a  club.  I  stooped, 
and,  picking  up  a  stone,  struck  him  so  as  to  stop  his 
further  pursuit.  The  men  in  the  boat  had,  on  seeing 
Mr.  Williams  and  me  running,  given  the  alarm  to  Cap- 
tain Morgan,  who  was  on  the  beach  at  the  time.  He 
and  I  jumped  into  the  boat  at  the  same  instant;  several 
arrows  were  thrown  at  the  boat. 

"  Mr.  Williams  ran  into  deep  water,  and  the  savage 
close  after  him.  On  entering  the  water  he  fell  forward, 
but  did  not  attempt  to  swim,  when  he  received  several 
blows  from  the  club  of  the  native  on  the  arms  and  over 
the  head.  He  twice  dashed  his  head  under  water  to 
avoid  the  club  with  which  the  savage  stood  over  him, 
ready  to  strike  the  instant  he  arose.  I  threw  two  stones 
from  the  boat,  which,  for  a  moment,  averted  the  progress 


54  ERROMANGA 

of  the  other  native,  who  was  a  few  paces  behind ;  but 
it  was  only  for  an  instant.  The  two  rushed  on  our 
friend,  and  beat  his  head,  and  soon  several  others  joined 
them.  I  saw  a  whole  handful  of  arrows  stuck  into  his 
body.  Though  every  exertion  was  used  to  get  up  the 
boat  to  his  assistance,  and  though  only  about  eighty 
yards  distant,  before  we  got  half  the  distance  our  friend 
was  dead,  and  about  a  dozen  savages  were  dragging 
the  body  on  the  beach,  beating  it  in  the  most  furious 
manner.  A  crowd  of  boys  surrounded  the  body  as  it  lay 
in  the  ripple  of  the  beach,  and  beat  it  with  stones  till  the 
waves  dashed  red  on  the  shore  with  the  blood  of  their 
victim.  Alas !  that  moment  of  sorrow  and  agony !  I 
almost  shrieked  in  distress. 

"  Several  arrows  were  shot  at  us,  and  one,  passing 
under  the  arm  of  one  of  the  men,  passed  through  the 
lining  and  entered  the  timber.  This  alarmed  the  men, 
who  remonstrated,  as,  having  no  fire-arms  to  frighten  the 
savages  away,  it  would  be  madness  to  approach  them, 
as  Mr.  Williams  was  now  dead.  To  this  Captain 
Morgan  reluctantly  assented,  and  pulled  off  out  of  reach 
of  the  arrows,  where  we  lay  for  an  instant  to  consider 
what  we  should  do,  when  it  was  proposed  that  we  should, 
if  possible,  bring  up  the  brig,  now  about  two  miles 
distant,  and,  under  cover  of  two  guns,  which  she  carried, 
to  land,  and,  if  possible,  to  obtain  the  bodies  which  the 
natives  had  left  on  the  beach,  having  stripped  off  the 
clothes.  We  hastened  on  board,  and  beat  up  to  the 
fatal  spot ;  we  could  still  perceive  the  white  body  lying 
on  the  beach,  and  the  natives  had  all  left  it,  which  gave 
us  the  hope  of  being  able  to  rescue  the  remains  of  our 
friend  from  the  ferocious  cannibals.  Our  two  guns 
were  loaded,  and  one  fired,  in  hopes  that  the  savages 
might  be  alarmed  and  fly  to  a  distance ;  several  were  still 
seen  on  a  distant  part  of  the  beach.     Shot  we  had  none, 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  55 

but  the  sailors  collected  pieces  of  iron,  etc.,  to  use  if 
necessary.  Our  hopes  were  soon  destroyed,  for  a  crowd 
of  natives  ran  down  the  beach  and  carried  away  the 
body  when  we  were  within  a  mile  of  the  spot.  In  grief 
we  turned  our  backs  and  stood  from  the  fatal  shores. 
We  had  all  lost  a  friend,  and  one  we  loved  for  the  love 
he  bore  to  all  and  the  sincerity  with  which  he  conveyed 
the  tidings  of  peace  to  the  benighted  heathen,  by  whose 
cruel  hands  he  had  now  fallen." 

When  the  Camden  reached  Sydney  on  the  30th  of 
November,  Sir  George  Gipps,  then  Governor  of  New 
South  Wales,  readily  granted  the  request  that  a  ship  of 
war  might  proceed  at  once  to  Erromanga  to  recover, 
if  possible,  the  remains  of  the  martyrs.  Accordingly, 
H.M.S.  Favourite,  Captain  Croker,  left  on  1st  February, 
Mr.  Cunningham  being  on  board.  On  the  27th,  the 
scene  of  the  massacre  was  reached.  After  a  very  long 
delay,  the  horrible  information  was  given  that  the  de- 
graded people  "  had  devoured  the  bodies  ".  Hours 
passed  before  the  bones  and  skulls  were  delivered  up 
to  Captain  Croker,  who  at  once  hastened  from  the 
tragic  spot. 

So  fell  the  first  of  the  martyr-band  of  Erromanga. 
The  name  of  Williams  is  a  name  that  can  never  die, 
hallowed  as  it  is  by  the  light  of  his  noble  and  God-spent 
life  and  the  splendour  of  his  still  nobler  death — a  life 
of  one  great  purpose,  having  for  its  watchword  the  "  Go 
ye  into  all  the  world  " — a  death,  the  glorious  entrance 
into  the  life  eternal  and  the  fulness  of  his  Saviour's  life. 

Nor  must  we  forget  the  younger  and  not  less  noble 
man  who  shed  his  life's  blood  on  the  shores  of  rocky 
Erromanga — one  who  had  not  even  entered  on  his  des- 
tined work.  We  know  little  about  him,  but  what  we 
do  know  sets  forth  strikingly  his  zeal,  his  love,  and  his 
great  ability.     He  had  set  his  heart  on  going  to  labour 


56  ERROMANGA 

in  tlie  Marquesas  Group,  and  was  then  on  his  way  home 
to  offer  himself  for  this  work.  To  us  it  seems  strange 
that  this  earnest  and  well-quaHfied  young  man  should 
not  have  been  permitted  to  carry  out  his  desire.  Then 
labourers  in  the  mission  field  were  few,  and  were  eagerly 
looked  for.  We  cannot  always  see  the  reasons  of  God's 
strange  dealings.  "  For  My  thoughts  are  not  your 
thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  My  ways,  saith  the  Lord. 
For,  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  My 
ways  higher  than  your  ways  and  My  thoughts  than  your 
thoughts." 

In  recent  years,  I  have  often  questioned  my  Erro- 
mangans  themselves  as  to  the  causes  which  led  to  the 
killing  of  Williams  and  Harris,  and,  although  the  state- 
ments I  got  from  different  natives  varied  slightly  in 
detail,  nevertheless  they  are  substantially  one  and  the 
same.  These  statements  amount  to  this: — When  the 
ship  arrived  which  brought  the  strangers  to  their  shores, 
the  people  were  at  once  apprehensive  lest  those  on  board 
should  land  and  steal  their  women  and  their  food,  as 
so  many  foreigners  had  done  before.  Their  fears  were 
increased  when  a  boat  was  pulled  to  the  shore  and  a 
party  landed.  A  great  annual  feast  ^  was  at  that  very 
time  in  course  of  preparation,  only  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  the  spot  where  the  boat  drew  in.  Shortly  before 
this  time,  foreigners  from  another  ship  had  visited  that 
part  of  the  coast,  had  stolen  a  chiefs  daughter,  and 
committed  other  grave  offences  of  a  like  nature.  Be- 
sides these  base  and  cruel  outrages,  they  had  actually 
cut  down  a  quantity  of  the  yams  that  had  been  tied  up 
to  upright  poles  for  the  approaching  feast,  and  had 
killed  and  carried  off  to  the  ship  a  number  of  pigs.  For 
these  reasons,  the  natives  became  suspicious  when  they 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  57 

saw  the  boat  leave  the  brig  Camden  and  approach  the 
shore. 

At  once,  Auwi-auwi,  the  chief,  gave  the  order  that  if 
these  people  only  landed  and  remained  about  the  boat 
and  did  not  interfere  m  any  way  or  with  anything,  the 
Erromangans  were  not  to  molest  them,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, were  to  treat  them  kindly.  They  willingly  sent 
a  man  to  fetch  the  water  asked  for,  and  also  brought 
down,  husked,  and  opened  young  cocoanuts  for  the 
strangers  to  drink.  But  Auwi-auwi  had  added  to  his  in- 
structions to  the  people  that,  if  the  foreigners  attempted 
to  leave  the  boat,  and  especially  if  they  should  go  in 
the  direction  of  the  nisekar  or  '  feast '  they  were  to  attack 
them.  He  had  left  his  club  in  the  bush,^  beside  a  fallen 
tree,  beyond  which  on  no  account  would  the  strangers 
be  allowed  to  proceed  ;  this  was  the  death- line. 

At  first  they  had  tried  to  get  the  strangers  to  leave 
the  spot,  in  their  ordinary  way,  that  is,  by  waving  the 
hand.  Again  and  again  this  was  repeated,  but,  instead 
of  taking  any  notice  of  it,  the  white  men  began  one  after 
another  to  leave  the  boat,  move  along  the  side  of  the 
stream,  and  turn  into  the  bush  or  scrub  land.  Immedi- 
ately the  war-whoop  was  given,  and  the  Erromangans 
rushed  madly  upon  this  small  defenceless  party,  who 
they  now  felt  sure  were  their  foes.  Auwi-auwi,  the 
chief,  singled  out  Williams,  bounded  after  him,  over- 
took him,  and  felled  him  with  his  club — the  same  that 
he  had  hidden  by  the  fallen  tree.  Others,  they  say, 
killed  the  younger  man,  Harris.  Neither  Williams  nor 
Harris  was  known  to  the  natives  as  missionaries,  and, 
had  it  been  possible  to  tell  them,  what  meaning  could 
that  term  have  conveyed  to  their  savage  and  ignorant 
minds — all  the  more  that  evil  and  not  good  had  been 
the  outcome  of  previous  visits  from  foreigners. 

The  natives  who  gave  me  this  narrative  also  stated 


58  ERROMANGA 

that  the  fact  that  no  fire-arms  or  weapons  of  any  kind 
could  be  seen  in  the  boat  made  them  the  more  deter- 
mined to  attack,  if  the  white  men  should  proceed  in  the 
direction  of  the  nisekar.  Or,  as  the  natives  put  it,  "  See ! 
they  have  nothing ;  they  are  nindevavu  ;  ^  let  us  smite 
them."  And  smite  them  they  did.  They  further  say 
that,  but  from  the  blow  from  a  stone  which  the  third 
man  (Cunningham)  gave  to  his  pursuer,  stunning  him, 
and  checking  his  pursuit,  he  would  certainly  have  been 
killed  by  that  native  ;  for  the  man  was  at  his  heels  when 
Cunningham  picked  up  the  stone,  struck  him,  and  then 
bounded  forward  and  sprang  into  the  boat. 

When  the  murderer  had  killed  Williams,  the  outburst 
of  grief  which  rang  from  all  the  white  people  in  the  boat 
produced  for  the  time  a  feeling  of  horror  and  dismay 
upon  the  crowd,  which  caused  them  to  exclaim,  "  Have 
we  indeed  killed  Nobu  ?''  What  have  we  done  ?  Why 
all  this .''  "  As  soon,  however,  as  the  boat  left  to  return 
to  the  ship  they  assembled,  stripped  the  clothes  from 
the  two  missionaries,  lashed  their  bodies  to  poles,  and 
carried  them  off  to  their  cannibal  feast.  Auwi-auwi 
and  his  people  cooked  and  devoured  the  body  of  Harris 
in  their  own  village,  and  close  to  the  scene  of  the 
martyrdom.  The  body  of  Williams,  which,  they  said, 
was  short  and  stout,  they  carried  up  the  south  bank 
of  the  river,  now  Williams's  River,  laid  it  down  on  the 
top  of  a  large,  high  rock  while  they  rested,  and  while 
doing  so  "  amused  "  themselves  by  measuring  the  body 
as  it  lay  there,  and  cutting  small  holes  in  the  rock  to 
indicate  its  length.  Two  such  holes  are  to  be  seen 
occi  the  top  of  this  rock  still,  which  the  natives  affirm 
are  those  ma^de  when  the  body  of  John  Williams  wa^^^^^,^ 

('''^table-land — an  inland  district,  about  three  miles  distant] 
from  Dillon's   Bay — where   it  was  exchanged  for  pigs,     I 
••^  measured.     It  was  finally  carried  to  a  village  on   th^7 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  59 

which  Auvvi-auwi's  people  carried  back  to  their  feast.  One 
of  the  many  old  men  who  gave  me  the  foregoing  narra- 
tive was  Numpunare,  ay«// brother  of  the  man  Auwi-auwi 
who  murdered  John  Williams.  Numpunare  himself  took 
part  in  the  massacre,  and  often  described  the  whole  scene 
to  me,  not  always  in  the  same  words,  but  his  statements 
always  agreed  the  one  with  the  other.  Tangkau  and 
Usuo,  sons  of  Auwi-auwi,  repeatedly  gave  me  the  narra- 
tive as  related  to  them  by  their  father,  and  their  accounts 
were  very  much  the  same  as  Numpunare's.  They  said 
that  had  their  father  and  his  people  known  that  the  party 
intended  no  harm,  but  had  called  in  only^  as  a  native 
expresses  it,  they  would  not  have  been  touched.  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  this  statement,  not  only  from  the 
manner  of  the  natives  towards  the  visiting  strangers 
and  their  willingness  to  oblige  them  by  procuring  drink- 
ing water,  but  also  from  the  clear  description  of  the 
whole  scene  by  Captain  Morgan  and  Mr.  Cunningham. 
Had  the  natives  intended  to  molest  or  kill  the  white 
men,  they  would  certainly  not  have  made  any  signs  for 
them  to  leave  their  shores  at  once.  On  the  contrary, 
they  would  have  resorted  to  every  means  in  their  power 
to  deceive  and  entrap  them.  Knowing  how  cunning  and 
crafty  they  are,  I  cannot  believe  anything  else.  And 
even  after  the  missionaries  had  landed,  Auwi-auwi  dis- 
tinctly told  his  people  that  the  strangers  were  not  to 
be  molested  or  interfered  with  in  any  way,  if  they  re- 
mained about  the  boat  and  went  away  quietly  without 
doing  any  harm.  The  attack  was  made,  as  they  firmly 
believed  at  the  time,  to  protect  their  homes  and  families 
as  well  as  their  property.  And,  remembering  how  basely 
they  had  been  treated  by  those  white  men  who  had 
visited  them  just  before,  need  any  one  wonder  at  their 
caution  .<*  Not  even  these  excuses,  however,  can  do  away 
with  the  horror  of  the  tragedy ;  but  we  must  remember 


6o  ERROMANGA 

ihat  the  perpetrators  were  an  ignorant,  savage  people, 
and,  remembering  this,  pity  as  well  as  blame.  Their 
descendants  express  sorrow  for  the  deed,  and  speak  in 
terms  of  loving  reverence  of  the  men  who  laid  down 
their  lives  for  Christ's  sake  while  endeavouring  to  bring 
to  dark  Erromanga  the  message  of  the  Saviour  who  died 
for  us  all. 

The  state  of  the  mission  on  Erromanga  from  the 
murder  of  Williams  till  Mr.  Gordon's  settlement  in  1857, 
is  clearly  given  in  the  following  letter  written  to  me 
by  the  late  Rev.  S.  Ella,  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society:  — 

"  Petersham,  Sydney, 

••  2']t)i  January,  1899. 

"  My  Dear  Bro.  Robertson, 

"  I  have  long  been  waiting  for  an  opportunity 
to  send  to  Erromanga  the  few  notes  I  had  prepared  for 
you  as  you  requested.  I  have  replied  to  your  queries 
in  the  order  in  which  you  gave  them. 

"  I.  Teachers  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  since 
1839. — Lasalo  and  Taniela  were  the  first  taken  there 
by  the  Rev.  T.  Heath  in  the  Camden  in  May,  1840. 
They  were  left  at  Dillon's  Bay.  In  April,  1841,  Rev. 
A.  W.  Murray  visited  Erromanga  in  the  Camden,  and, 
finding  that  the  teachers  had  been  barbarously  treated 
by  the  people,  it  was  decided  to  remove  them.  Much 
difficulty  was  experienced  in  getting  them  away.  But 
for  the  compassion  of  one  man,  named  Vorevore,  they 
would  have  been  starved.  These  teachers  we*e  taken 
to  the  Isle  of  Pines,  and  thus,  unfortunately,  ended  the 
second  attempt  to  convey  the  Gospel  to  Erromanga. 
Lasalo  and  Taniela  were  afterwards  murdered  on  the 
Isle  of  Pines."      Other  attempts  were  made  on   subse- 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  6i 

quent  voyages  to  locate  teachers  on  Erromanga,  but 
without  avail.  In  1849,  ^^^^  natives  of  jprromanga,  Joe, 
Nana,  Nivave,  and  Nebore,  were  induced  to  accompany 
the  missionary  deputation  to  Samoa.  They  were  placed 
at  Mulua,^"  where  they  remained  for  nearly  three  years, 
and  were  returned  by  the  fo/tn  Williams  in  May,  1852. 
Nivave  died  when  near  Erromanga.  With  them  were 
landed  at  Dillon's  Bay  two  Rarotongan  teachers,  Va'a 
and  Akatangi,  who  were  the  first  teachers  settled  at 
that  place.  Mana  acted  as  assistant  there,  and  Joe  at 
Elizabeth  Bay.  Meariki,  a  Rarotongan,  was  left  at 
Dillon's  Bay  in  1857;  Taevao,  a  Rarotongan,  at  Eliza- 
beth Bay.  Tuka,  a  Rarotongan,  was  placed  at  Bunkil  at 
this  time.  Elia,  a  Samoan,  was  one  of  the  early  teachers. 
In  1858,  an  Aneityum  teacher  came  to  their  aid,  placed 
by  Mr.  Geddie. 

"  2.  The  Missionary  Deputations  from  1 840. — Rev.  Thos. 
Heath  in  the  Camden  in  May,  1840,  who  placed  the  first 

teachers  on  Erromanga. In  April,  1841,  Rev.  A.  W. 

Murray  in  the  Camden.  The  people  were  very  hos- 
tile.  Murray  and  Turner  in  \\\&  John   Williams,  her 

first  voyage  to  the  New  Hebrides,  April,  1845,  were 
well  received  by  the  natives  of  Dillon's  Bay,  except  by 
an  old  chief  who  refused  to  have  intercourse  with  the 

deputation  or  receive  a  teacher. A  second  visit  in 

the  John  Williams  was  made  in  September,  1846,  by  the 

Revs.  W.  Gill  and  H.  Nisbet ;  not  much  was  done. 

The  third  visit  of  the  John  Williams  was  under  the 
charge  of  Revs.  Turner  and  Nisbet,  September,  1848. 
So  terrible  accounts  were  given  of  the  doings  of  the 
sanaal-wood  traders  and  of  massacres  by  the  natives 
that  the  deputation  concluded  it  was  inopportune  to  call 
at  Dillon's  Bay. The  fourth  voyage  was  in  Sep- 
tember, 1849,  under  Revs.  Murray  and  Hardie.  The 
John  W ilLiams  anchored  in  Dillon's  Bay.     Some  of  the 


62  ERROMANGA 

natives  swam  off  to  the  ship.  Four  young  men  en- 
gaged to  come  with  the  deputation  to  Samoa  for  in- 
struction ;  these  were  Joe,  Nebore,  Mana  and  Nivave 
In  December  of  that  year  Mr.  Geddie  wrote  to  Samoa, 
saying  that  he  thought  teachers  might  safely  be  placed 

at    Dillon's    Bay. The    fifth    voyage    of    the    John 

Williams,  in  May,  1852,  was  under  Revs.  Murray  and 
Sunderland.  The  four  natives  were  on  board  ;  one  died 
near  land,  the  others  were  returned  to  Erromanga,  and 
two  teachers  placed  at  Dillon's  Bay  under  the  care  of 
the  chiefs  Naiwan  and  Auwi-auwi,  who  gave  up  to  the 
deputation  two  young  men,  their  near  relatives,  to  be 
taken  to  Samoa  as  hostages.     Teachers  were  also  left 

at  Elizabeth   Bay   and   Bunkil. The   sixth   voyage 

of  the  John  Williams  was  in  October,  1854,  having  on 
board  the  Revs.  Hardie,  Sunderland,  Creagh  and  Jones 
en  route  to  Mare,  of  the  Loyalty  Islands.  Creagh  and 
Jones  had  been  deputed  by  the  Directors  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society  to  settle  on  Erromanga.  The  work 
there  had  already  made  a  good  beginning ;  a  temporary 
church  had  been  built  at  Dillon's  Bay,  sixty-seven 
natives  had  professed  to  renounce  heathenism  and  were 
attending  worship  and  schools.  Four  more  teachers 
were  left  on  Erromanga.  On  account  of  sickness  the 
following  year,  four  of  the  teachers  left  Erromanga ;  of 

these  two  went  to  Mare  and  two  to  Lifu.^^ The 

seventh  voyage  was  in  June,  1857.  Revs.  Drum- 
mond  and  Harbutt  now  met  with  Auwi-auwi,  who,  with 
Naiwan,  pleaded  for  a  missionary.  Mr.  Gordon  was 
landed  with  Taivo  and  Tuka,  Rarotongan  teachers,  on 
17th  June.     Dr.  Geddie  remained  with  them  for  a  time. 

• The  eighth  voyage  was  in  July,  1858,  under  Revs. 

Stallworthy  and  G.  Gill.  Mr.  Gordon  had  been  well 
received,  and  had  gone  among  the  people  with  some 
acceptance,  and  services  and  schools  were  fairly  well 
attended. Ninth  voyage,  October,   1859,  under  Dr. 


THE  APOSTLE  OF  POLYNESIA  63 

Turner,  with  Revs.  Macfarlane  and  Baker  on  their  way 
to  Lifu.  Found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  well.  They  had 
moved  on  to  the  hill.  There  had  been  a  reaction  and 
many  adherents  had  withdrawn.  Mr.  Gordon  asked 
for  another   missionary  for   Portinia    Bay.     They   met 

Auwi-auwi  and  Uvialau,  who  murdered  Mr.  Harris. 

Tenth  voyage  of  the  /o^n  Willia7ns  was  in  August, 
1 86 1,  with  Rev.  A.  W.  Murray  on  board.  This  was  just 
after  the  murder  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon.  Several 
Erromangan  refugees  were  found  on  Aneityum.  Mana 
was  carrying  on  the  work  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and  services 
and  schools  were  being  conducted  in  other  parts  of  Erro- 
manga.  Mr.  Murray  visited  the  graves  of  the  Gordons, 
by  the  side  of  the  river,  and  found  them  well  kept  and 

fenced   in  by  bamboos   and   reeds. The   following 

year  I  called  at  Aneityum  and  received  some  sad  relics 

of  the  martyrs  to  forward  to  their  friends. My  next 

visit  was  in  1864,  when  I  met  with  the  murderer  of  Mr. 
Gordon,  and  gave  him  a  sound  talking  to,  and  warned 
him  that  he  would  have  to  answer  for  his  crime  to  God 
and  an  earthly  judge.  We  visited  the  graves  and  the 
scene  of  the  murders,  and  Captain  Eraser  took  photo- 
graphs of  these  places. 

"  Regarding  the  sandal-wood  trade  I  have  already  given 
you  some  information.  It  was  a  barbarous  business,  and 
one  followed  by  bloodshed  all  the  way  from  its  initiation 
before  the  murder  of  Williams  and  Harris,  which  was 
done  in  revenge  for  an  awful  transaction  on  Erromanga. 
Of  correspondence  I  had  not  any  with  Mr.  G.  N.  Gordon. 
I  had  one  or  two  letters  from  his  brother ;  but  I  do  not 
know  if  I  preserved  them,  as  I  cannot  find  them  now. 
I  have  his  little  book.  The  Last  Martyrs  of  Erromanga. 
Poor  man!  he  did  not  anticipate  that  he  was  to  be  the 
last  martyr.  With  our  united  kind  regards, 
"  Yours  sincerely, 

"Saml.  Ella." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  FIRST-FRUITS  ;   AN  OFFERING  WITH  BLOOD. 

It  was  on  the  17th  of  June,  1857,  that  the  Rev.  George 
Nichol  Gordon  and  Mrs.  Gordon  reached  Erromanga, 
which  had  been  assigned  to  them  as  the  field  of  their 
future  labours.  Mr.  Gordon  was  a  native  of  Prince 
Edward's  Island.  He  had  founded  the  City  Mission  in 
Halifax,  and  was  its  first  missionary.  He  gave  himself 
a  thorough  course  of  training  for  his  missionary  work, 
and  was  ordained  in  September,  1855,  leaving  Nova 
Scotia  very  shortly  afterwards  for  England.  During  his 
stay  in  London  he  met  Miss  Ellen  C.  Powell,  who 
became  his  wife.  They  were  married  on  5th  June,  1856, 
and,  after  a  short  visit  to  Paris,  they  left  Gravesend 
towards  the  end  of  July,  in  the  John  Williams.  The 
vessel  called  at  Capetown,  Hobart,  and  Sydney ;  and, 
going  with  it  through  the  Eastern  Pacific,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon  at  last  reached  the  New  Hebrides.  In  a  letter 
to  the  Rev.  J.  Bayne,^  of  Nova  Scotia,  written  at  Tahiti, 
Mrs.  Gordon  said,  "  I  have  no  reason  to  regret  not 
getting  directly  to  the  New  Hebrides  from  Sydney, 
though  our  passage  was  long  and  wearisome.  For,  pro- 
bably a  deputation  from  Samoa  may  accompany  us  to 
the  New  Hebrides,  who,  by  their  counsels  and  those  of 
our  own  missionaries,  are  likely  to  relieve  our  minds 
considerably  from  anxiety  as  to  our  destination.  I  have 
laboured  nearly  as  much  in  the  Australian  colonies  for 
the   London   Missionary  Society  as    for   my  own,   and 

(64) 


.   l/^;    l^  r/'u-^n^ 


>  €-1^.-^^ /-  iX^>^^-^i^^'ui —  xzc^-i^- 


-e^^^r? 


\Page  64. 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  65 

trust  some  sincere  friends  have  been  made  to  the  good 
cause." 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1857,  the  John  Williams  ^  arrived 
at  Aneityum,  Messrs.  Harbutt  and  Drummond,  the  depu- 
tation from  Samoa,  being  on  board,  v^ith  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon.  After  four  days  spent  at  Aneityum,  they  v^ere 
joined  by  Messrs.  Geddie  ^  and  Inghs  of  that  island,  and 
the  vessel  proceeded  to  Port  Resolution,  on  Tanna. 
The  John  Knox^  accompanied  the  John  Williams  as  far 
as  Erromanga  that  Mr.  Geddie  and  Mr.  Inglis  might 
return  in  her  to  Aneityum,  allowing  \.\\e  John  Williams 
to  proceed  on  her  voyage.  At  Port  Resolution  things 
were  found  in  a  very  disturbed  state,  and  the  other 
missionaries  advised  Mr.  Gordon  to  proceed  to  Erro- 
manga, with  a  view  of  setthng  on  that  island.  Dillon's 
Bay  was  reached,  probably  about  the  14th  or  15th  of 
June,  as  we  find  the  vessel  was  at  Tanna  on  the  13th. 

In  describing  their  settlement  I  cannot  do  better  than 
quote  what  Mr.  Geddie  wrote  at  the  time  about  it : 
"June  19th. — Our  first  object  at  Dillon's  Bay  was  to 
see  the  principal  chief,  Naiwan,  but  we  were  sorry  to 
learn  that  he  was  not  at  home.  He  had  gone  to  an- 
other part  of  the  island  to  consult  with  his  brother- 
chiefs  about  a  war  which  had  been  going  on  for  some 
time.  We  sent  for  him,  but  his  friends  would  not  con- 
sent to  his  leaving  them.  He  sent  word  to  us  that  he 
wished  Mr.  Gordon  to  remain  and  occupy  the  piece  of 
land  which  he  had  formerly  given  to  the  teachers.  The 
people  also  were  most  anxious  for  a  missionary.  Under 
these  circumstances  we  felt  no  difficulty  in  recommend- 
ing Erromanga  to  Mr.  Gordon  as  a  field  of  labour,  and 
he  approved  of  it  himself." 

The  deputation,  having  done  all  in  their  power  to 
make  the  Gordons  comfortable,  left  in  the  John  Williams 
and  the  John   Knox  to  return   to   their   own    fields  of 


(^  ERROMANGA 

labour.  As  to  the  comforts  of  the  Gordons,  their  house 
could  not  possibly  have  been  either  commodious  or  com- 
fortable. I  am  not  able  to  say  what  it  was  like,  but  I  do 
know  what  expenditure  of  strength  and  time  it  takes  to 
build  one  of  the  old-fashioned  mission-houses  of  the  New 
Hebrides — the  houses  of  rough  poles,  wattle,  and  plaster, 
of  concrete  floors  and  thatched  roofs.  Mr.  Gordon's  first 
building  worthy  of  the  name  of  a  house  must  have  been 
simply  of  native  material,  and  erected  by  his  own  hands, 
with  whatever  rough  help  he  could  get  from  native  lads 
who  might  be  willing  to  assist  him.  That  it  was  not 
such  a  house  as  this  even,  but  a  grass  hut,  which  was 
their  first  abode  in  Dillon's  Bay,  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  the  deputation  could  not  have  been  more  than  two 
or  three  days  with  them  at  Erromanga.  Mr.  Geddie 
wrote  :  "  On  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday,  the  17th  inst., 
all  the  supplies  belonging  to  Mr.  Gordon  being  landed, 
we  went  on  shore  to  visit  him  in  his  own  house.  Our 
party  consisted  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harbutt,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Inglis,  Mr.  Drummond,  Captain  Williams  and  myself. 
After  an  early  tea,  we 'had  a  prayer-meeting,  which,  in 
our  circumstances,  was  very  solemn.  Our  brethren  and 
sisters  then  bade  us  adieu,  and  the  John  Williams  was 
soon  under  way  for  the  other  islands.  Instead  of  going 
on  board  the  John  Knox,  I  spent  the  night  on  shore 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon,  which  was  their  first  night 
on  Erromanga.  It  was  pleasing  to  see  them  so  comfort- 
able in  their  new  home." 

The  settlement  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  marked  a 
turning-point  in  the  Erromangan  Mission  ;  for,  although 
Williams  and  Harris  fell  as  martyrs  on  this  island,  they 
had  not  laboured  on  it,  and  were,  in  fact,  only  a  few 
minutes  on  shore  when  they  were  killed.  Then,  as  has 
already  been  shown,  some  missionaries  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society  paid  almost  annual  visits  from  the 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  6y 

year  of  the  massacre,  and  teachers  from  the  field  worked 
by  the  same  society  were  settled  on  the  island.  But 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  were  the  first  European  mission- 
aries who  ever  lived  on  Erromanga. 

That  we  may  be  in  a  position  to  fully  appreciate  the 
great  work  they  did  on  Erromanga,  let  us  think  of  their 
circumstances  and  surroundings.  They  were  all  alone, 
in  so  far  as  sympathy  with  them  and  in  their  work  could 
have  helped.  Probably  not  one  individual,  white  or 
black,  on  all  that  large  island  had  the  slightest  interest 
in  the  success  of  their  work  or  sympathy  in  their  suffer- 
ings; while  there  were  not  a  few,  of  fair  as  well  as  of 
dark  skins,  who  regarded  these  messengers  of  God  with 
anything  but  friendly  feelings.  The  distance  south  from 
the  island  of  Erromanga  to  Tanna  or  to  the  coast  of 
Efate  on  the  north,  is  greater  than  that  which  separates 
any  other  two  islands  in  the  group  from  its  nearest  neigh- 
bour. Of  missionary  neighbours  the  Gordons  had  none. 
Means  of  sending  or  receiving  letters  from  the  civilised 
world  were  few  and  far  between,  and  the  same  thing 
was  true  as  regarded  means  of  receiving  their  food 
supplies  and  other  stores.  The  climate  is  relaxing,  and 
they  had  no  congenial  friends  to  cheer  them  in  their  lone- 
liness, which  at  times  must  have  been  almost  too  much 
even  for  their  strong  faith.  As  for  natives,  they  seem  to 
take  a  peculiar  delight  in  not  only  looking  at  the  dark 
side  of  everything,  but  also  in  being  the  first  to  tell  bad 
tidings,  and  especially  if  these  bad  tidings  have  a  tinge 
of  bitterness  in  them  for  the  hearer.  They  will  enlarge 
on  all  that  is  fearful  and  depressing  at  the  very  time, 
it  may  be,  that  a  loved  one  is  lying  sick  and  suffering, 
and  when  one  needs  a  bright  and  cheerful  friend,  not 
an  alarmist.  Even  when  they  become  sincere  and  true 
Christians,  they  do  not  seem  to  understand  the  constant 
care  and  toil  of  their  missionary,  and  do  not  sympathise 


68  ERROMANGA 

as  they  might  with  his  longings  and  plans  for  the  carry- 
ing on  of  the  work.  If  we  find,  then,  that  the  mission- 
ary receives  so  little  sympathy  from  Christian  natives, 
need  we  wonder  if  he  should  receive  7i07ie  at  all  from  the 
heathen  amongst  whom  his  lot  has  been  cast  ?  However 
absurd  it  may  seem  to  us  that  savages  should  be  willing 
even  for  missionaries  to  dwell  among  them  and  teach 
them  something  new  and  foreign  to  them,  is  it  not  far 
more  absurd  that  we  should  expect  them  to  know  and 
understand  anything  about  this  new  doctrine  ? 

It  may  be  asked,  why  do  heathens  ask  for  missionaries, 
or,  at  any  rate,  why  are  they  willing  to  let  them  come 
and  dwell  among  them  ?  It  would  be  hard  to  state 
exactly  what  their  reasons  are.  They  seem  to  have  a 
vague  idea  that  missionaries  bring  something  good  and 
serviceable — some  knowledge  that  will  help  to  protect 
them  from  evil  spirits  and  disease-makers.  A  mission- 
ary's presence  in  a  village  adds  to  the  importance  of  the 
tribe  in  the  eyes  of  other  tribes.  Above  all,  from  the 
missionaries  they  will  get  -property,^  and  for  the  pos- 
session of  that  they  are  prepared  to  do  a  good  deal, 
and  prepared  even  to  hear  about  this  new  religion,  or 
if  they  do  not  exactly  believe  and  accept  it,  they  will 
at  least  tolerate  it.  For  churches  or  missionaries  to 
expect  higher  motives  from  savages  is  not — to  put  it 
mildly — very  flattering  to  their  common-sense.  By-and- 
by,  when  the  natives  begin  to  grasp  the  real  object  of 
the  missionary,  and  to  reflect  and  see  that  Christianity 
in  itself  is  a  good  thing,  they  will  become  interested, 
and  be  willing  to  receive  instruction.  Some  may  even 
leave  their  own  villages,  if  distant,  in  order  to  learn 
more,  until,  if  not  prevented  by  their  friends,  they  aban- 
don heathenism  altogether  and,  outwardly  at  least,  adopt 
the  Christian  religion.  And,  if  God's  Holy  Spirit  comes 
into  their  hearts,  there  will  soon  be  a  great  and  glorious 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  69 

change  which  will  be  manifest  to  every  one.  This 
may  not  come  suddenly;  years  may  pass  before 
the  missionary's  soul  is  gladdened  by  such  a  change. 
Many  an  able  and  earnest  man  has  toiled  and  prayed 
for  long  years  among  a  heathen  people,  and,  after  all, 
has  seen  httle  fruit  of  his  labours.  But  the  reward  is  not. 
"  Well  done,  good  and  successful  servant,"  but  "  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant ". 

It  was  necessary  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  at  the  very 
first  to  learn  the  language  of  the  people.  Many  who 
come  as  successors  in  the  mission  field  have  benefited 
by  the  knowledge  of  the  language  which  our  prede- 
cessors acquired,  and  in  some  cases  have  found  books 
either  printed  or  in  manuscript  ready  to  our  aid.  For 
the  Gordons  there  was  no  such  help.  They  had  to  go 
through  the  slow  process  of  getting  words  and  names 
of  things  from  any  one,  young  or  old,  who  might  be 
willing  to  give  them  and  with  patience  enough  to  be 
questioned  as  to  their  meaning.  An  alphabet — perhaps 
very  •  imperfect  at  first — has  to  be  formed,  words  and 
sentences  gradually  added,  and  thus  the  first  attempts 
made  to  prepare  school-books  and  to  translate  cate- 
chisms and  portions  of  Scripture.  How  hard  and 
patiently  Mr.  Gordon  must  have  worked  in  studying 
the  language  may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that,  ten  weeks 
after  their  settlement  at  Dillon's  Bay,  he  had  translated 
the  Ten  Commandments  into  Erromangan!  Not  long 
afterwards,  he  translated  the  book  of  Jonah  and  some 
hymns,  and  actually  printed  these  with  his  own  hand. 
All  this  literary  work  he  did  while  preparing  material 
for  and  building  his  own  house  and  a  church  or  school- 
house,  besides  native  houses  for  his  helpers,  and  for  his 
kitchen  and  stores.  All  these  buildings  were  required 
at  the  very  outset. 

Notwithstanding  this  heavy  manual  labour  from  the 


70  ERROMANGA 

very  beginning,  Mr.  Gordon  lost  no  opportunity  of  speak- 
ing to  and  teaching  the  people  and  of  visiting  distant 
parts  of  the  island  wherever  he  durst  go.  Mrs.  Gordon  so 
thoroughly  instructed  the  heathen  boys  Yomot  and  Usuo 
in  reading,  that,  when  in  time  they  became  earnest  and 
sincere  Christians,  they  were  well  able  to  teach  others. 
There  were  some  Eastern  teachers  ^  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon  in  1857  and  1858;  one  was  settled  at  Dillon's 
Bay,  one  at  Elizabeth  Bay,  and  a  third  at  Bunkil — a 
district  about  ten  miles  south  of  Dillon's  Bay.  Elizabeth 
Bay  is  about  the  same  distance  to  the  north  of  it,  and 
between  these  two  points  Mr.  Gordon  did  most  of  his 
missionary  work.  On  several  occasions  he  crossed  the 
islands  to  Portinia  Bay  and  Cook's  Bay,  and  visited  the 
various  tribes  in  and  about  those  districts.  During  the 
four  years  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  toiled  on  the  island 
— long  the  darkest  spot  in  the  whole  Pacific — the 
notorious  sandal-wood  trade  was  in  full  swing ;  and,  to 
add  to  their  troubles,  measles  had  broken  out  in  1861. 
At  the  same  time,  tidings  reached  them  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Johnstone  on  Tanna  and  of  the  sickness  and  suffer- 
ings of  other  members  of  the  Tanna  mission.  All  this 
tended  to  confirm  the  superstitious  Erromangans  in  their 
belief  in  witchcraft  and  in  sacred ''  men,  and  at  the  same 
time  deepened,  if  possible,  their  dread  and  hatred  of 
their  power.  What  an  arduous  field  to  work  Erro- 
manga  must  have  been  during  those  years!  It  could 
not  surely  have  surprised  any  one  had  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon  become  disheartened  and  alarmed.  On  the  con- 
trary, we  find  them  redoubling  their  efforts  for  the  tem- 
poral and  spiritual  good  of  all  classes  of  the  people,  alike 
of  friends  and  foes. 

Of  course  I  never  saw  Mr.  George  Gordon,  but  I  know 
from  others  that  he  was  a  very  robust  and  powerful 
man,  as  strong  as  iron,  and  absolutely  without  fear  of 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  71 

any  kind.  It  was  my  privilege — one  that  I  shall  always 
treasure  as  deeply  interesting — to  visit  two  of  Gordon's 
brothers,  in  1883,  at  the  old  homestead  in  Prince  Ed- 
ward's Island,  and  if  George  Gordon  was  anything  hke 
them  he  must  indeed  have  been  a  splendid  sort  of  man. 
The  brothers  were  magnificent  men,  over  six  feet  in 
height,  powerfully  built,  and  with  strength  of  character 
in  every  line  of  their  faces. 

There  remains  very  little  more  that  needs  be  said 
about  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon.  Their  missionary  work 
was  faithfully  and  ably  carried  on,  and  is  bearing  fruit 
to  this  day.  From  time  to  time,  visits  were  made  to 
them  by  missionaries,  from  Samoa  and  the  Loyalty 
Islands,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society — that  noble 
society  which  began  the  New  Hebrides  Mission  and  then 
generously  passed  it  over  to  the  Presbyterians.  They 
were  also  visited  by  the  late  Bishop  Patteson,  who  him- 
self fell  a  martyr  at  Santa  Cruz,^  in  1871,  and  by  at 
least  one  of  his  missionaries,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dudley,  now 
Archdeacon  Dudley  of  Auckland,  New  Zealand.  And 
as  often  as  possible,  of  course,  members  of  our  own 
mission  from  Aneityum  and  Tanna  visited  Erromanga. 
How  highly  all  such  visits  were  appreciated  Mr.  Gordon's 
published  letters  bear  ample  testimony.  His  references 
to  them  are  most  touching,  revealing  on  the  one  hand 
the  loneliness  of  his  situation,  and  on  the  other  the  un- 
bounded joy  that  visits  from  friends  brought  to  the 
hearts  of  both  workers.  Notwithstanding  his  varied  and 
heavy  labours,  Mr.  Gordon  had  a  large  correspondence 
with  friends  in  Canada,  England,  and  Australia,  and  in 
most  of  the  mission  fields  in  the  Pacific.  While  prose- 
cuting his  studies  in  Halifax,  he  came  to  know  intimately 
Captain  Hedley  Vicars,^  whose  regiment  was  at  that 
time  stationed  there.  He  worked  with  him  in  the  City 
Mission,   and  afterwards   corresponded  with   him   until 


72  ERROMANGA 

that  noble  Christian  soldier  fell  on  the  battlefield,  in 
1857.  How  Mr.  Gordon  found  time  for  his  manifold 
labours  astonishes  me,  for  I  know  well  what  the  charge 
of  a  large  mission  field  means.  But  the  strongest  man's 
labours  have  a  limit,  and  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  this 
man  of  iron  frame  almost  break  down  at  times. 

Mrs.  Gordon  never  had  good  health  on  the  low  valley- 
land  of  Dillon's  Bay,  and  was  subject  to  frequent  attacks 
of  fever  and  ague.     Her  strength  in  this  way  was  so 
much  reduced  that,  when  they  removed  to  what  is  now 
called  Mount  Gordon,   she  had   to  be   carried  by   the 
natives,  being  quite  unequal  to  the  effort  needed  in  the 
ascent.     Parts  of  the  track  are  very  difficult  and  steep, 
and   the   spot  where   their  new  house   stood   is  about 
1,000  ft.  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     Mrs.  Gordon  never 
again  returned  to  the  valley  until  the  fatal  20th  of  May, 
when,  a  martyr  for  Christ,  she  was  carried  to  her  grave 
on  the  banks  of  Williams's  River.     The  manner  of  it 
was  this :  In  January,  1861,  four  natives  of  Tanna  suffer- 
ing from  measles  were  taken  to  Dillon's  Bay  by  the 
schooner  Blue  Bell,  a  vessel  engaged  in  the   sandal- 
wood trade,  and  commanded  by  Captain  Bruce,  familiarly 
known"  there  as  "  Bill  Bruce  ".    From  those  on  board  that 
vessel,  this  diseasq,  so  fatal  to  natives  everywhere,  spread 
to  the  Erromangans.       Mr.  Gordon  had  warned  them 
against  it  immediately,  when  it  became  known  that  the 
disease  was  on  board,  explaining  to  them  the  nature 
of  the  new  sickness.     Native-like,  they  took  no  heed 
of  his  warnings ;   they  mixed  with  those  on  board  the 
vessel   and,    of   course,    contracted    the   malady,   which 
spread  with  alarming  rapidity  all  over  the  island.     Old 
and  young,  men  and  women  were  stricken  down  by  it, 
and  yet  not  the  slightest  precautions  were  taken  by  the 
natives  to  prevent  its  inroads.^^    Then,  as  if  to  complete 
the  suffering,  misery,  and  death  among  the  people,  a 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  73 

violent  hurricane  came  on  in  the  month  of  January, 
and  that  was  followed  by  others  in  March,  which  de- 
stroyed the  food-plantations  and  houses  of  the  natives. 
The  poor  people,  living  in  wretched  old  huts  or  in  ex- 
posed caves  and  without  their  usual  excellent  diet,  were 
unable  to  withstand  the  new  epidemic  which  had  visited 
them.  Within  a  very  few  months,  two  thousand  of  the 
Erromangans,  or  one-third  of  the  entire  population  of 
the  island,  were  swept  into  their  graves. 

During  all  this  time  of  misery,  Mr.  Gordon  never 
ceased  to  go  from  village  to  village,  carrying  nourishing 
food  and  other  comforts  to  the  suffering  ones,  and  it  is 
a  remarkable  fact  that  of  about  one  hundred  young 
people  and  children  who  put  themselves  under  his  treat- 
ment only  two  died,  and  one  of  those  was  otherwise 
diseased.  But  the  four  years  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon's 
self-denying  toil  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual  good  of 
all  the  people  could  not  appease  the  rage  of  the  heathen 
when  they  saw  their  friends  falling  on  every  side. 
They  beheved  that  the  disease  was  brought  upon  them 
by  "  sacred  men,"  or  makers  of  disease  and  hurricanes, 
of  whom  Mr.  Gordon  was  the  chief,  as  he  had  "  seen 
the  sickness  coming,  and  had  told  them  how  dreadful 
it  was  ".  The  Erromangans  were,  and  are  still,  like  all 
the  natives  of  the  Pacific,  deeply  superstitions.  With 
them  their  is  no  natural  "cause  and  effect".  Indeed, 
1  never  knew  a  single  native,  however  excellent  he  might 
otherwise  be,  who  was  not  brimful  of  old  superstitions. 
Maddened  by  the  reign  of  death  all  around  them,  and 
incited  by  Rangi,  the  Polynesian,  who  asserted  that 
missionaries  and  their  new  doctrine  brought  trouble 
and  death,  the  heathen  of  Unepang,  a  very  stronghold 
of  Satan  on  the  island,  resolved  to  take  the  hves  of 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon. 

On    the    20th    of    May,    1861,    after    breakfast    and 


74  ERROMANGA 

morning  prayers  with  his  wife,  Mr.  Gordon  left  their 
house  on  Mount  Gordon  to  work  at  another  house  he 
was  then  building  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  overlooking 
the  valley  and  about  midway  between  ]\Iount  Gordon 
and  Williams's  River.  Seven  or  eight  young  natives 
who  were  helping  him  in  this  work  went  with  him.  One 
of  these  Mr.  Gordon  kept  to  help  him  with  the  build- 
ing ;  the  others  were  sent  to  cut  and  bring  denyung, 
a  long  reed-grass,  for  thatching  the  roof.  Two  natives 
— a  girl  and  a  young  lad  who  was  acting  as  cook — were 
left  with  Mrs.  Gordon. 

Shortly  before  noon  a  party  of  nine  men  from  Une- 
pang  and  Bunkil  (Lovo,  the  chief  of  Bunkil,  being  one 
of  their  number)  arrived  at  the  mission-house  and 
inquired  of  Mrs.  Gordon  where  her  husband  was,  add- 
ing that  they  wanted  calico  for  tietdidngi — which  is  a 
strip  of  cloth  tied  round  the  loins  of  the  men — as  they 
wished  to  begin  to  attend  church.  Mrs.  Gordon  told 
them  that  he  was  working  at  the  new  house,  and  they 
immediately  proceeded  down  the  hill.  When  they  got 
about  half-way,  they  halted  in  a  thick  cluster  of  bush, 
through  which  the  narrow,  steep  footpath  leads.  Lovo, 
the  ringleader,  ordered  all  to  sit  down.  He  then  re- 
minded Uhuvih  and  Uven  of  the  oath  they  had  taken 
that  morning  on  the  table-land  before  they  reached  the 
mission-house,  and  asked  if  they  were  unam,  'unchanged'. 
They  answered  freely,  Itnesong,  nam  unam,  marima, 
'  true  for  ever,  and  now  for  it\  Uhuvili  at  once  rose  and 
started  alone  for  Saddle  Hill,  where  Mr.  Gordon  was 
working ;  the  other  eight  remained  in  the  thicket,  ready 
for  the  horrid  deed.  As  Uhuvili  approached,  the  young 
man  who  was  helping  Mr.  Gordon  said,  "  That  is  Uhu- 
vili ;  he  is  a  very  bad  man,  and  has  murdered  many 
people  in  his  time  ".  Mr.  Gordon  saluted  Uhuvili,  and, 
taking  the  battle-axe  out  of  his  hand,  asked  him  why 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  75 

he  carried  such  a  dangerous  weapon,  at  the  same  time 
running  his  thumb  along  the  edge  and  remarking  how 
very  sharp  it  was.  He  then  returned  it  to  him.  Uhu- 
vili  informed  Mr.  Gordon  that  a  number  of  men  were 
at  the  mission-house,  and  wanted  cahco.  Mr.  Gordon 
wrote  on  a  piece  of  board  :  "  Give  these  men  a  fathom 
of  cahco  each,"  and,  handing  it  to  the  man  said,  "  Take 
this  to  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  she  will  give  you  what  you 
want ". 

Uhuvili  declined  it,  and  said :  "  There  is  a  sick  man, 
and  we  want  you  to  come  and  give  him  medicine  ". 

Hearing  of  a  sick  person,  Mr.  Gordon  at  once  said : 
"  See !  "  pointing  to  a  plate  containing  food,  "  I  have 
not  yet  eaten,  but  I  can  do  that  as  well  at  the  house  as 
here." 

Giving  to  Uhuvili  a  cooked  yam  and  also  one  to  the 
young  man  who  was  helping  with  the  building,  he 
asked  the  chief  to  lead  the  way.  The  man  declined, 
and  Mr.  Gordon  himself  walked  ahead,  UhuviH  follow- 
ing. When  they  got  about  half-way  to  the  thicket,  they 
found  the  dry  grass  along  the  track  burning,  having  been 
lighted  by  some  person.  Uhuvili,  who  has  often  related 
to  me  everything  that  took  place  that  day,  told  Mr.  Gor- 
don to  be  careful  of  his  clothes  on  account  of  the  burning 
grass.  Glancing  at  Mr.  Gordon's  face,  he  saw  that  for 
the  first  time  he  suspected  a  deadly  plot ;  he  was  walk- 
ing rapidly  up  the  hill,  evidently  intent  on  getting  into 
his  house.  As  he  reached  the  fatal  gully,  Lovo  raised 
his  arm  to  strike,  but  Mr.  Gordon  dashed  past  him.  The 
other  men,  as  he  passed,  called  out,  Kik-e-paii,  Misi ! 
'  love  to  you,  Misi !  '  and  then  rose  to  their  feet.  As  Mr. 
Gordon  came  under  a  half-fallen  tree  on  the  track,  a 
native  standing  on  the  tree  struck  him  in  the  back  with 
his  axe.  Still  the  doomed  man  tried  to  push  his  way  over 
the  boulders  on  the  path.     A  second  savage  struck  at 


76  ERROMANGA 

him,  and  Mr.  Gordon,  raising  his  right  arm  to  ward  off 
the  blow,  received  a  severe  gash  across  the  palm  of  his 
hand,  but  grasped  the  axe  and  threw  the  native  right 
off  the  track.  Another  man  struck  at  him  then,  but 
his  axe,  too,  was  seized.  Hearing  the  yells  of  his 
pursuers,  he  turned,  and  seeing  Uhuvili  and  Lovo  rush- 
ing behind,  he  dropped  the  axe,  gave  a  despairing  call, 
and  struggled  up  the  steep.  By  this  time  he  was  pant- 
ing from  exertion  and  weak  from  loss  of  blood.  In 
another  moment  Uhuvili  was  upon  him,  and  swinging 
his  axe  aloft  plunged  it  into  Mr.  Gordon's  neck.  The 
victim  fell  forward  on  his  face.  The  murderer  then 
with  his  axe  dragged  his  victim  down  into  a  hut  by 
the  side  of  the  path,  and  with  the  other  fiends  of  black 
skins  and  blacker  souls  sat  around  and  mocked  his  death- 
throes. 

Uven,  who  had  undertaken  to  complete  that  day's 
tragedy,  now  hastened  to  the  mission-house.  Poor  Mrs. 
Gordon  had  heard  the  yells  of  the  savages,  and,  evi- 
dently fearing  the  worst,  asked  Uven  what  the  noise 
meant.  He  replied  that  it  was  only  the  boys  playing. 
Turning  with  a  trembling  heart,  she  asked :  "  Where 
are  the  boys  ?  "  Uven,  seeing  his  opportunity,  struck 
her  in  the  shoulder  with  his  axe,  and  she  fell  at  his  feet. 
Another  blow  nearly  severed  her  head  from  her  body, 
and  all  was  over.  How  sad  that  these  savages  could 
not  spare  even  this  gentle  lady!  Her  brother-in-law, 
James  Gordon,  wrote  of  her  death :  "  Thus  fell  Ellen 
Catherine  Gordon,  the  fourth  martyr  of  Erromanga — 

and  most  a  martyr  of  the  four Poor  lamb!  what 

had  she  done  to  incur  their  resentment  or  savage  fero- 
city ". 

By  this  time,  the  murderers  of  Mr.  Gordon  were  at 
hand,  hurrying  to  their  homes,  and  Uven  joined  them. 
Numpwot,   the   young  cook,   got  his  bow   and   arrows 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  77 

to  pursue  them,  but  they  had  finished  their  work,  and, 
fearing  revenge  from  some  of  the  chiefs  and  people  of 
Dillon's  Bay  district,  fled  to  Bunkil  with  all  haste.  The 
little  girl  who  was  with  Mrs.  Gordon  ran  down  the  hill 
and  called  to  the  young  men  who  were  cutting  grass 
for  thatching.  From  her  manner  and  signs  they  sus- 
pected what  had  just  happened,  and,  as  Yomot,  who  was 
one  of  their  number,  has  often  told  me,  they  fairly 
raced  up  the  hill,  and  found  the  body  of  their  beloved 
missionary  lying  in  a  pool  of  blood  from  which  a  tiny 
stream  was  trickling  down  the  stony  path.  On  reaching 
the  mission-house,  they  found  Mrs.  Gordon's  body  lying 
on  the  ground  by  the  kitchen  door.  They  hurriedly 
tied  up  in  mats  the  remains  of  their  martyred  mission- 
aries, and  bore  them  down  the  mountain  to  the  place 
of  burial  on  the  south  bank  of  Williams's  River,  and  not 
a  hundred  yards  from  the  spot  where  John  Williams 
and  James  Harris — the  first  martyrs  of  Erromanga — 
fell  in  November,  1839.  Mr.  Milne,  a  gentleman  con- 
nected with  the  sandal-wood  establishment  at  Dillon's 
Bay,  rendered  all  the  assistance  he  could,  while  these 
men,  with  sobs  and  tears,  were  digging  a  grave  for  the 
bravest  and  truest  friends  they  had  ever  had.  Mr.  Milne 
removed  Mrs.  Gordon's  marriage-ring  from  her  finger 
and  cut  off  a  lock  of  her  hair,  clotted  with  blood,  before 
the  last  act  of  love  and  tenderness  and  respect  was  paid 
to  the  dead  ones.  The  sad  relics  were  sent  to  Mr. 
Geddie,  who  forwarded  them  to  Mrs.  Gordon's  mother 
in  England.  The  bodies  having  been  gently  lowered 
into  the  same  grave,  Mana,  one  of  the  teachers,  con- 
ducted a  short  service,  and  then  the  little  group  of 
friends  separated  to  their  lonely  abodes,  heart-broken, 
as  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  and  with  their  own  lives 
in  danger. 

By  the  first  vessel  going  to  Aneityum,  fourteen  of  the 


78  ERROMANGA 

worshipping  band  of  Erromangans,  including  Joe  and 
Yomot,  fled  to  that  island — the  only  Christian  island 
in  the  group  at  that  time,  and  a  true  "  city  of  refuge  " 
to  those  in  sickness  or  trouble.  By  the  massacre  of  the 
Gordons  and  the  flight  of  their  few  friends  to  Aneityum 
from  their  own  dark  island,  the  Erromangan  Mission 
was  broken  up,  as  was  also  the  Tanna  Mission  in  the 
same  year  by  the  deaths  of  Mrs.  Paton  ^^  and  Mr. 
Johnston  and  the  flight  to  Aneityum  of  Mrs  Johnston, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matheson  and  Mr.  Paton.  These  sad 
events  threw  the  whole  Mission  and  the  Churches  that 
had  sent  these  heroic  men  and  women  to  the  foreign 
field  into  deep  sorrow,  but  never  for  one  moment  did 
they  lose  heart  or  swerve  from  their  marching  orders; 
and  their  actions  soon  after  gave  cheering  and  unmis- 
takable evidence  of  this. 

The  late  Rev.  W.  Wyatt  Gill,  LL.D.,  so  long  an 
honoured  missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society 
on  Mangaia  in  the  Eastern  Pacific,  kindly  let  me  have, 
a  few  years  ago,  some  of  his  old  manuscripts,  and  per- 
mission to  use  them.  They  are  extremely  interesting. 
One  bundle,  which  is  marked  the  "  Sixteenth  Voyage  of 
the  John  Williams  to  Western  Polynesia,"  contains 
several  references  to  Erromanga,  which,  I  think,  I  ought 
to  quote. 

''Aneityum,  loth  October,  1862. — We  met  in  com- 
mittee. Mr.  Geddie  is  desirous  that  two  of  our  best 
teachers  be  appointed  to  accompany  Mr.  Copeland  ^^  to 
Erromanga  next  April  or  May.  Meantime,  they  are  to 
live  with  Mr.  Copeland,  and  get  initiated  into  the  dialect. 
Butaura  and  Butaugi  acceded  to  the  wish  of  our  friends. 
Oh  that  this  may  be  the  dawn  of  a  brighter  day  for 
that  dark  island!  Our  brethren  are  anxious  that,  if 
possible,  Elia  should  be  sent  from  Samoa  to  co-operate 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  79 

with  Butauri  and  Butaugi,  as  he  is  well  known  and  is 
much  liked  by  the  Erromangans. 

"■Monday  ino7-iimg,  \2,th  October. — We  sailed  for 
Erromanga  to  restore  the  remaining  nine  Christian 
refugees  to  their  own  island.  On  the  preceding  Sabbath, 
I  preached  to  the  natives  in  the  Rarotongan  dialect. 
As  so  many  Erromangans  were  present,  I  called  on 
Naling,  one  of  their  number,  to  pray.  He  prayed  with 
great  fluency  and  apparent  fervour.  It  was  affecting  to 
hear  a  son  of  blood-stained  Erromanga  thus  lifting  up 
his  heart  in  prayer  to  the  only  living  and  true  God.  Dur- 
ing most  of  this  day  the  islands  Futuna,  Aniwa,  Tanna 
and  Erromanga  were  in  sight. 

"  Tuesday,  \a^th  October. — Dropped  anchor  in  Dillon's 
Bay,  Erromanga.  The  appearance  of  the  coast  is  much 
like  that  of  Mare  in  the  Loyalty  Islands,  the  three 
ridges  being  very  distinctly  marked.  The  interior  of 
the  island  is  different,  consisting  of  mountain  ranges. 
In  Dillon's  Bay,  the  land  is  marvellously  rent  as  if  by  a 
mighty  convulsion  of  nature.  A  goodly  river  runs  down 
the  gorge  into  the  bay.  No  reef  is  anywhere  visible. 
The  natives  poured  into  the  open  space  facing  the 
harbour  from  all  parts.  Their  shouts  were  tremendous 
when  they  saw  the  ship.  Hour  after  hour  we  watched 
an  almost  continuous  string  of  natives  laden  with  food, 
congregating  from  either  side  of  the  bay.  They  as- 
sembled on  Auwi-auwi's  land  just  opposite  where  we  lay 
at  anchor.  At  length  Joe  ^^  and  Mana  came  off  in  a 
canoe,  and  informed  us  that  the  heathen  were  celebrat- 
ing their  great  annual  festival,  as  upon  the  occasion 
of  the  Rev.  J.  Williams's  landing.  They  were  now  pre- 
paring the  food  ;  at  sunset  they  would  feast  and  then 
hold  their  dances.  Yesterday  they  were  feasting  on 
Woris's  land.  To-morrow  they  will  proceed  to  the  next 
district,  and  so  on  till  their  food  be  exhausted. 


So  ERROMANGA 

"  The  five  refugee  Christians  brought  back  here  a  short 
time  since  by  the  John  Knox  were  quite  well.  They  live 
in  one  house  for  mutual  protection.  On  Sabbath  days 
they  hold  divine  worship,  and  a  few  heathen  attend. 
They  are  threatened  from  time  to  time  by  their  heathen 
fellow-countrymen.  The  chief  on  whose  land  they  live 
is  friendly.  Auwi-auwi,  on  whose  land  the  feast  is  being 
held,  is  unfriendly.  He  is  the  murderer  of  Williams. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  lived  in  his  district.  It  is  not 
at  all  likely  that  they  could  have  fallen  without  his 
connivance,  if  not  express  sanction.  Rangi  continues 
the  same  as  ever,  telling  the  chiefs  on  no  account  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  Christianity,  but  to  be  sure 
to  kill  the  Christian  party.  We  gave  a  few  things  to 
the  poor  Christians,  and  exhorted  them  to  hold  on  their 
way  and  simply  trust  in  God.  Joe  early  went  ashore 
alone  in  his  canoe  to  look  after  the  two  Christians 
left  in  charge  of  their  premises.  As  the  excitement 
was  so  great  among  the  heathen,  it  was  thought  that 
an  attack  might  be  made.  He  speedily  returned  and 
reported  all  safe.  We  therefore  thought  it  right  to  land 
the  remaining  refugee  Erromangans  that  we  brought 
from  Aneityum.  Subsequently  two  of  the  seven  ob- 
tained permission  to  go  on  with  us  to  Mare,  to  live  there 
a  while  under  Christian  instruction.  Mr.  Jones  and  I 
accompanied  them  on  shore.  As  we  neared  the  beach, 
the  natives  crowded  towards  the  river  to  look  at  us — 
all  armed  with  muskets,  bows  and  arrows,  and  clubs. 
Even  the  little  children  carried  weapons.  The  women 
are  decently  attired,  like  the  Aneityumese ;  the  men 
are  nude,  besmeared  all  over  with  soot  and  charcoal. 
Who  could  help  feehng  deeply  their  wretched  state! 
We  walked  up  the  river  to  Mr.  Henry's  house,  and 
found  his  family  all  congregated  together  in  some 
anxiety  on  account  of  their  close  proximity  to  the  ex- 


THE  FIRST-FRUITS  8i 

cited  natives.  An  Efate  man  in  his  employ  was  killed 
in  the  bush  a  few  days  ago,  when  cutting  down  sandal- 
wood. About  one  hundred  armed  natives  had  been  to 
him  that  morning,  but  departed  without  injuring  any 
of  his  family.  It  was  his  opinion  that  a  missionary 
might  live  in  safety  on  Woris's  land ;  and  that  Woris 
would  keep  him  informed  of  the  plots  of  the  natives, 
without,  however,  imperilling  his  own  safety  by  taking 
part  with  any  foreigner.  This  quite  agrees  with  the 
statements  made  to  us  by  Joe  and  Mana  ;  but  we  cannot 
think  it  right  for  any  missionary  living  here  to  be 
without  the  means  of  self-defence.  And  it  is  very  im- 
portant that  the  heathen  should  know  that  he  is  not 
altogether  at  their  mercy.  The  Erromangans  are  really 
a  cowardly  race:  they  strike  from  behind.  They  are, 
however,  so  habituated  to  murder  that  to  be  unarmed 
would  be  a  powerful  incentive  to  crime. 

"  We  saw  Woris  himself ;  also  another  chief  named 
Woris  who  now  lives  in  the  interior,  having  been  driven 
from  his  land  by  Auwi-auwi.  He  is  only  a  boy.  We 
also  saw  two  of  Naiwan's  sons.  These  all  seemed 
friendly  enough.  When  we  were  conversing  with  Mrs. 
Henry,  we  heard  deafening  shouts  drawing  nearer  and 
nearer.  We  were  then  much  amused  at  seeing,  a  few 
yards  from  where  we  were  standing,  a  crowd  of  natives 
crossing  the  river,  bearing  aloft  in  the  air  yams,  pigs, 
etc.,  for  the  feast.  One  hand  would  be  thus  employed 
conveying  their  food  over,  the  other  firmly  grasping 
their  weapons,  being  especially  careful  not  to  wet  their 
bow-strings,  meanwhile  swimming  with  their  feet.  In 
the  afternoon  the  anchor  was  weighed,  and  we  stood  off 
for  Mare  again.  As  the  sails  were  unfurled,  the  whole 
mass  of  heathen  came  to  the  beach  to  see  our  vessel 
off.  The  beach  was  black  with  them.  There  could  not 
have  been  less  than  two  thousand  of  them.     Captain 


82  ERROMANGA 

Williams  remarked  that  he  had  never  before  seen  so 
many.  Mr.  Henry  says  the  natives  threatened  to  kill 
and  eat  them  all  at  this  feast.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
shouting  and  screaming  of  one  party  as  they  crossed  the 
river  a  little  above  Henry's  house.  They  swam  with 
their  spears,  holding  on  to  the  legs  and  ears  of  pigs 
swimming  in  front  of  them." 

This  visit  of  Dr.  Gill's  to  Dillon's  Bay  was,  as  he 
mentions,  more  than  a  year  after  the  martyrdom.  Dr. 
Steel  ^*  wrote  thus :  "  Bishop  Patteson  was  the  first  to 
visit  the  island  after  the  sad  event.  He  felt  the  bereave- 
ment keenly,  for  he  loved  the  Gordons  and  every  year 
called  on  them  as  he  sailed  past.  He  climbed  the  steep 
rocks  to  their  house,  and  spent  a  few  hours  in  pleasant 
intercourse  with  them.  On  this  occasion  he  landed, 
and  read  the  burial  service  over  the  graves  of  the 
martyrs." 


CHAPTER   V. 

HOW  PROVIDENCE  LED  ME  TO  MY  LIFE-WORK. 

The  year  in  which  the  first  Dayspring  ^  left  the  shores 
of  Nova  Scotia,  on  her  way  to  the  Pacific,  marked  an 
era  in  the  history  of  the  New  Hebrides  Mission  and  also 
in  that  of  the  Canadian  Church.  This  was  the  first 
Presbyterian  mission-ship  that  had  ever  left  British 
North  America,  and  her  building  and  launching  created 
a  new  and  intense  interest,  not  only  among  Canadians 
but  in  every  spot  where  the  money  had  been  given  for 
her  construction.  For  though  the  Dayspring  was 
launched  from  the  shores  of  Canada  and  though  many 
there  collected  money  for  her  building  and  support,  yet 
had  it  not  been  for  the  indefatigable  efforts  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Paton  among  the  children,  and  adults,  too,  of  Aus- 
tralia, the  timber  which  built  the  ship  would  still  be 
growing  in  the  forests  of  Nova  Scotia. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  I  was  in  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Roderick  Mackenzie  of  Pictou,  in  Nova  Scotia,  and, 
though  he  was  far  from  being  an  exacting  man,  yet  the 
long  business  hours,  with  almost  no  out-door  exercise, 
had  a  bad  effect  on  my  health.  I  felt  that  it  could  only 
be  improved  by  a  complete  change.  And  there  was 
another,  and  perhaps  a  stronger,  inducement  than  the 
recovery  of  health — a  longing  to  see  other  countries 
than  my  own,  and  to  know  more  of  the  myth-like  isles 
of  the  south,  the  scenes  of  perpetual  summer,  of  sunny 
skies  and  tropical  seas.     Returning  from  a  walk  one  day, 

(83) 


84  ERROMANGA 

I  saw  a  number  of  people  in  a  blacksmith's  shop,  and, 
youth-like,  I,  too,  went  in.  The  talk  turned  on  the 
ship  that  was  now  being  built,  and  one  of  the  company 
remarked  on  "  the  splendid  chance  that  this  would  be 
for  a  young  man  to  go  to  the  Colonies  ".  I  there  and 
then  decided  that,  if  in  any  way  it  were  possible,  I  would 
go  away  in  the  Dayspring.  When  I  spoke  to  Mr.  Mac- 
kenzie, though  he  did  not  approve  of  my  wish,  for,  he 
said,  I  was  simply  throwing  away  any  experience  I 
had  gained  in  business,  he  did  not  withhold  his  consent 
but  offered  his  hearty  good  wishes  for  my  future.  I  had 
fortunately  enough  money  to  pay  for  my  passage,  and 
so  I  appHed  to  Rev.  Dr.  Bayne,  then  Convener  of  the 
Foreign  Mission  Committee  of  our  Church.  I  remember 
well  how  he  listened  to  me  as  I  told  of  my  long-cherished 
wish,  and  how  he  said,  when  I  had  finished,  "  But,  ah  ! 
you  should  have  a  higher  object  than  thai".  I  could 
only  confess  that  I  had  then  no  higher  object.  Hearing 
that  in  one  way  only  could  I  have  a  passage  granted 
in  the  Dayspring,  namely,  by  engaging  as  a  lay-assistant 
or  teacher  for  the  Mission,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  sign 
the  ship's  articles  and  work  my  way  out  to  the  New 
Hebrides. 

Great  interest  was  taken  in  the  building  and  com- 
pletion of  the  httle  vessel  of  115  tons,  which  was 
rigged  as  a  brigantine.  Indeed,  every  man,  woman 
and  child  in  Pictou  seemed  to  feel  as  if  the  Dayspring 
were  personal  property,  and  so  the  launching  took  place 
amidst  intense  enthusiasm.  Among  the  crowd  of  spec- 
tators that  day  were  Mr.  Mackenzie,  who  is  now  a 
fellow-worker  with  me  on  the  New  Hebrides  Mission, 
and  myself.  All  was  pleasurable  excitement,  when,  as 
our  noble  little  craft  slowly  glided  down  to  the  water, 
she  was  christened  by  the  ever-appropriate  name  of  the 
Dayspring. 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  85 

Heaven  speed  the  canvas,  gallantly  unfurl'd, 
To  furnish  and  accommodate  a  world ; 
To  give  the  pole  the  produce  of  the  sun, 
And  knit  th'  unsocial  climates  into  one. 
Soft  airs  and  gentle  headings  of  the  wave 
Impel  the  fleet  whose  errand  is  to  save — 
To  succour  wasted  regions,  and  replace 
The  smile  of  Opulence  on  Sorrow's  face. 
Let  nothing  adverse,  nothing  unforeseen, 
Impede  the  bark  that  ploughs  the  deep  serene, 
Charged  with  a  freight,  transcending  in  its  worth 
The  gems  of  India— Nature's  rarest  birth; 
That  flies,  like  Gabriel  on  his  Lord's  commands, 
A  herald  of  God's  love  to  pagan  lands. 

— COWPER. 

After  some  time  spent  at  Pictou  and  Charlotte  Town, 
during  which  the  vessel  was  thrown  open  for  inspection, 
the  Day  spring  arrived  at  Halifax  in  October,  and  here 
again  great  numbers  of  interested  friends  visited  her 
daily.  The  night  before  she  had  sailed  from  Pictou,  a 
valedictory  meeting  was  held  in  the  Prince's  Street 
Church,  presided  over  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bayne,  who,  with 
Rev.  Dr.  Roy,  addressed  the  large  gathering.  I  re- 
member well  the  words  of  each  of  the  three  missionaries, 
and  was  specially  struck  with  the  intense  earnestness  of 
one  of  them — Mr.  Morrison.  He  did  not  dread,  he 
said,  the  work  before  him,  the  heathen,  the  terrors  of 
the  deep  ;  "  but,"  he  added.,  "  what  I  am  afraid  of  is  my 
own  heart ".  It  was  afterwards  his  faithful,  brave  heart 
that  kept  him  up  through  sickness,  sorrow  and  loneliness 
on  the  islands  till  the  welcome  "  rest  after  weariness  " 
came.  After  Mr.  Morrison's  address,  Mr.  M'Culloch 
spoke,  followed  by  Mr.  James  Douglas  Gordon  (the 
brother  of  the  murdered  missionary),  who  told  his 
listeners  not  to  be  too  much  elated,  to  remember  that 
seven  years  ago  that  night  they  had  said  farewell  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Matheson,  and  that  now  they  must  think  of 
the  sad  reverses  on  Tanna  and  Erromanga.     In  Halifax 


86  ERROMANGA 

another  large  meeting  was  held.  Dr.  Bayne  again  pre- 
sided, the  three  missionaries  and  others  addressing  the 
numbers  who  gathered  to  hear  them. 

On  the  day  following,  that  is,  the  7th  of  November, 
1863,  the  Day  spring  left  Halifax,  the  departure  being 
witnessed  by  a  large  and  enthusiastic  crowd  of  friends. 
As  the  beautiful  little  vessel  left  her  moorings  and  sailed 
slowly  away,  I  looked  back  from  her  deck  ctnd  saw  a 
great  cloud  of  white  handkerchiefs  waving  good-bye, 
and  heard  cheer  after  cheer  rising  from  the  throng.  We 
were  told  afterwards  that  Dr.  Bayne  both  cheered  and 
wept.  Turning  round,  I  saw  Mr.  Gordon  sitting  by, 
and  looking  strangely  and  steadily  back  on  the  fast- 
receding  shores  of  his  native  land — the  home  which  he 
was  never  to  see  again — then,  hiding  his  face  in  his 
hands,  he  broke  forth  into  weeping.  "  Weep  ye  not 
for  the  dead,  neither  bemoan  him;  but  weep  sore  for 
him  that  goeth  away ;  for  he  shall  return  no  more, 
nor  see  his  native  country  "  (Jer.  xxii.  10). 

We  had  lovely  weather  all  the  way  from  Halifax  to 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  the  pleasant  but  uneventful 
run  of  six  weeks'  duration  was  enjoyed  by  all.  We  only 
once  came  across  a  ship.  Our  Captain  Fraser  ^  hove-to, 
and  sent  Mr.  Currie,  the  chief  officer,  to  her,  who  found 
that  the  strangers  were  short  of  food  and  coals.  The 
Dayspring  was  able  to  supply  them,  and  when  Mr. 
Currie  returned  he  showed  us  a  bunch  of  green  bananas 
— the  first  tropical  fruit  I  had  ever  seen.  I  was  in- 
terested in  those  bananas,  so  much  so  that  Mr.  Currie 
got  interested  in  me! 

"  Would  you  like  to  try  one .?  "  he  said. 

"  Very  much,"  I  replied  ;  "  how  is  it  eaten  .-•  " 

"  Just  take  a  good  bite,"  said  he ;  "  no,  don't  bother 
taking  the  skin  off ;  you  won't  get  half  the  right  flavour 
that  way." 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  87 

It  was  a  long  time  before  I  forgot,  or  was  allowed 
to  forget,  my  first  taste  of  that  luscious  fruit  of  the 
South,  and  of  the  day  when  I  was  "  green  "  enough  to 
try  and  eat  a  green  banana,  skin  and  all.  The  only 
thing  that  cheered  me  up  when  I  thought  of  it  was  that 
I  was  not  the  only  fool  who  had  ever  been  taken  in  by 
a  sailor.  If  there  is  one  thing  that  people  seem  to  have 
unbounded  and  blissful  ignorance  about,  it  is  life  in  the 
tropics  and  tropical  fruit.  "  How  pleasant  it  must  be," 
some  one  once  said,  "  to  sit  with  a  book  under  the 
shade  of  a  pine-apple!  "  And  I  know  of  a  gentleman 
in  Fiji  to  whom  a  friend  remarked  :  "  It  must  be  delight- 
ful to  he  under  the  shade  of  a  bread-fruit  tree  and  let 
the  bread-fruit  drop  into  your  mouth  ".  "  That  would 
be  very  much  the  same  sensation  as  when  a  good-sized 
pumpkin  drops  into  your  mouth  from  a  height  of  about 
thirty  feet,"  he  replied. 

It  was  in  January  of  1864  that  we  reached  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  anchoring  in  Table  Bay  on  a  lovely 
Sunday  morning.  We  spent  eleven  days  there,  Mr. 
Gordon  during  that  time  being  the  guest  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Thompson,  with  whom  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  N. 
Gordon  had  stayed,  seven  years  before,  when  on  their 
way  to  the  New  Hebrides.  From  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson  and  Mr.  Solomon,  an  influential  gentleman, 
head  of  a  printing  establishment  in  the  town,  we  received 
much  kindness,  and  the  stay  at  the  Cape  was  fraught 
with  many  pleasant  memories  to  one  and  all. 

Arriving  in  Melbourne  in  March,  the  Dayspring  got 
a  warm  welcome — indeed,  an  enthusiastic  one — from  the 
many  friends  of  the  Mission  there.  Not  the  least  of 
the  pleasure  to  us  was  our  meeting  with  the  noble 
Father  of  the  Mission,  Mr.  Geddie,  and  his  devoted 
wife.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geddie  had  landed  on  Aneityum  in 
the  year  1848,  and  were  now  returning  to  their  native 


88  ERROMANGA 

land  of  Canada  after  a  long  absence.  Sixteen  years  of 
earnest  and  self-denying  work  had  been  done  among 
the  people  of  Aneityum,  which  was  their  station,  and 
many  other  of  the  islands  had  been  visited  by  Mr. 
Geddie.  His  was  a  spirit  akin  to  that  of  Williams ; 
he  was  not  content  to  confine  his  ministrations  to  one 
island,  but,  in  his  zeal,  would  have  given  himself,  his 
strength,  and  his  hfe,  if  need  be,  to  the  task  of  evangelis- 
ing the  many.  As  I  looked  at  the  heroic  couple  for 
the  first  time,  though  I  had  long  known  of  them,  the 
name  of  "  Geddie "  being  almost  a  household  word 
with  us  in  Canada,  I  saw  my  ideals  of  true  missionaries. 
At  this  time  they  were  in  deep  sorrow ;  Mrs.  Geddie 
bowed  down  with  grief  at  the  loss  of  a  darling  child ; 
but  their  thought  was  ever  for  others  and  of  their 
people  left  behind,  in  whose  hearts  they  had  been 
helped,  by  God's  grace,  to  work  such  a  divine  change. 
It  is  worthy  of  note  that  for  the  long  period  of  fifteen 
years  Mrs.  Geddie  had  never  once  been  off  the  island  of 
Aneityum,  but,  when  we  saw  her,  though  grief-stricken 
and  worn  with  work,  her  face  still  wore  the  charm  of 
an  early  beauty.  At  the  outset  of  their  labours  they 
were  four  years  alone  on  Aneityum ;  then  they  were 
joined  by  the  Rev.  John  Inglis  and  Mrs.  Inglis,  from  the 
Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland,  the  same 
Church  which  had  furnished  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Paton  for 
the  Mission ;  and  from  that  time  onwards  the  two 
missionaries  and  their  wives  had  worked  together  on 
Aneityum — the  G  eddies  at  Anelcauhat,  the  principal 
port,  and  the  others  at  Aname,  on  the  north  coast.  Dur- 
ing that  time,  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  had  been 
translated  and  been  printed  in  the  language  of  the 
people,  and  Mr.  Geddie  had  now  the  Book  of  Psalms 
in  manuscript,  which  he  intended  to  get  printed  in  Hali- 
fax on  his  return  to  his  own  country. 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  89 

At  the  date  of  our  arrival  there  was  no  agent  for  the 
New  Hebrides  Mission  in  the  Colonies,  but,  during  the 
stay  of  the  Dayspring  in  Melbourne,  the  Rev.  J.  P. 
Sunderland,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  took  a 
great  interest  in  her,  and  was  daily  to  be  seen  showing 
the  numerous  visitors — mostly  children — all  over  the 
vessel,  for  she  was  "  the  children's  ship  ".^  He  never 
grew  tired — or,  if  he  did,  never  showed  it  in  his  manner 
— of  explaining,  in  his  bright  and  graphic  way,  every 
little  detail  in  connection  with  that  vessel  which  seemed 
to  have  so  charming  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  the  eager 
little  ones.  I  remember  how  he  used  to  bring  a  crowd 
of  boys  and  girls  into  the  cabin,  and  say,  "  Now,  children, 
if  you  put  a  penny  in  that  box,  I'll  show  you  a  real 
missionary ".  In  would  tumble  the  pennies,  and  Mr. 
Geddie  would  be  introduced  to  the  expectant  crowd. 
"  Now,  another  penny,  and  you'll  see  something  you 
never  saw  before — a  little  native  of  Aneityum."  When, 
after  some  fumbling  in  pockets,  the  pennies  would  again 
clink  into  the  box,  and  they  clamoured  for  a  sight  of 
the  "  little  native,"  Mr.  Sunderland  would  show  Mrs. 
Geddie's  child.  "  She's  not  black,"  the  children  would 
exclaim.  "  Ah !  but  she's  a  native — a  real  one,"  he 
would  laughingly  reply.  And  so  on  from  one  part  of 
the  ship  to  another  he  guided  each  party  of  children, 
always  interesting,  always  ready  to  explain  matters  and 
answer  their  numerous  questions.  Through  Mr.  Geddie's 
thoughtful  kindness,  I  had  the  honour— one  I  shall 
never  forget — of  being  introduced  to  Captain  Morgan, 
who  had  commanded  the  London  Missionary  Society's 
ships,  the  Camden  *  and,  afterwards,  the  John  Williams 
for  so  long.  He  was  dark,  somewhat  below  the  average 
height,  and  had  a  most  gentle  and  kindly  manner.  In 
introducing  me  Mr.  Geddie  remarked  :  "  We  always  look 


90  ERROMANGA 

upon  our  friend,  Captain  Morgan,  more  as  a  missionary 
than  as  a  captain  ". 

From  Aneityum  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geddie  had  brought 
with  them  Lathella,  then  the  foremost  chief  and,  perhaps, 
the  leading  man  in  every  way  on  the  island,  and  also 
his  wife  and  child,  intending  to  take  them  to  Canada, 
where  their  presence  could  not  have  failed  to  create 
a  deep  interest.  Owing,  however,  to  their  poor  health, 
Mr.  Geddie  was  afraid  to  risk  taking  them  to  such  a 
cold  climate,  and  they  were  to  return  with  us  to  Aneit- 
yum. Every  incident  so  impressed  itself  on  my  memory 
at  that  time  that  I  can  recall,  as  if  it  were  yesterday, 
the  day  on  which  I  first  saw  Lathella.  I  was  standing 
on  the  deck  with  Mr.  Currie,  the  chief  officer,  and  Mr. 
Reid,  the  second,  when  we  caught  sight  of  him — a  tall, 
very  black  but  handsome  man,  scrupulously  attired  in 
black,  his  long  clerical  coat  of  alpaca  just  the  fashionable 
length.  He  came  nearer,  holding  himself  erect,  looking 
grave  and  dignified,  stopped  as  he  reached  us,  raised 
his  black  hat,  gave  a  most  stately  bow,  and  presented 
us  with  his  card  on  which  was  inscribed  "  Lathella,  High 
Chief  of  Aneityum  ".  But  Lathella  was  one  of  nature's 
gentlemen,  and  was  just  as  courteous  and  refined  when 
dressed  in  his  simple  island  attire  of  a  shirt  and  coloured 
lava-lava,^  bare-footed  and  bare-headed,  as  when  he 
donned  the  European  costume  and  with  it  European 
manners.  It  was  Lathella  who  gave  me  my  first  lesson 
in  the  Aneityumese  language. 

While  we  were  in  Melbourne,  Captain  Eraser  asked 
Mr.  Geddie  if  he  knew  of  a  good  situation  for  a  young 
man  who  had  been  brought  up  to  business.  Captain 
Eraser,  I  may  mention,  had  given  me  the  option  of 
leaving  the  Dayspring  at  Capetown  if  I  so  desired, 
and  had  been  a  kind  friend  and  adviser  throughout  the 
trip.     Mr.  Geddie  at  once  replied  that  he  knew  of  just 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  91 

such  a  position.  An  agent,  to  be  on  Aneityum,  was 
wanted  by  a  cotton  company  which  had  its  headquarters 
in  Glasgow ;  a  young  man  who  would  live  on  the  island, 
buy  the  cotton  from  the  natives,  and  ship  it  to  Scotland. 
Messrs.  Geddie  and  Inglis  had  a  power  of  attorney  from 
them,  and  were  at  that  very  time  on  the  look-out  for 
some  one  to  take  the  post.  This  seemed  to  me  the 
very  thing  I  wanted,  and  also  to  the  captain,  who 
strongly  advised  me  to  apply  for  the  agentship.  I  had 
had  more  of  a  longing  to  see  life  in  the  islands  than  in 
the  Colonies,  and  here  was  my  chance.  Though  I  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  mission  and  could  not  think 
highly  enough  of  those  engaged  in  it,  I  could  not 
honestly,  at  that  time,  have  taken  any  post  in  the 
mission-field.  My  heart  would  not  have  been  in  my 
work,  and,  as  I  understand  it,  it  would  not  only  have 
been  unwise  but  wrong  in  the  extreme  for  me  to  attempt 
such  duties  in  that  spirit.  Doubtless^,  an  all-wise  God 
was  leading  me  in  this  way  to  my  life-work,  and  I  can 
never  look  on  the  years  spent  in  a  business  capacity 
on  Aneityum  as  so  much  time  lost,  but  rather  as  years 
of  preparation.  I  did  not  at  once  have  the  appointment 
given  to  me.  Mr.  Geddie  decided  to  leave  the  matter 
in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Inglis,  who,  being  on  Aneityum  at 
the  time,  could  perhaps  judge  better  of  my  fitness  for 
the  duties. 

Meanwhile  at  Melbourne,  Williamstown,  and  Geelong 
we  met  with  much  kindness,  and  a  meeting  was  arranged 
at  Geelong  to  bid  farewell  to  the  Dayspring  and  her 
passengers.  At  that  meeting  Mr.  Gordon  paid  a  tribute 
of  praise  to  Mr.  Geddie,  speaking  of  his  long  and 
arduous  years  in  the  islands,  and  adding,  at  the  close 
of  his  remarks — as  he  mentioned  that  he  himself  and 
those  who  had  come  with  him  in  the  Dayspring  were 
only  starting  their  work — the  words,  "  Let  not  him  that 


92  ERROMANGA 

girdeth  on  his  armour  boast  himself  as  he  that  putteth 
it  off"  (i   Kings  xx.   II). 

In  April  we  arrived  in  Sydney,  where  a  month  was 
spent,  Captain  Eraser  having  decided  to  have  a  new  deck- 
house built.  Among  the  first  visitors  that  came  to  the 
ship  were  the  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Buzacott  of  Rarotonga, 
Mr.  Macdonald,  a  staunch  friend  of  the  Mission,  and  Mr. 
J.  H.  Goodlet,  then  quite  a  young  man,  who  was  acting 
as  secretary  and  treasurer  for  the  Dayspring.  Dr. 
Ross,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  afterwards 
kindly  took  these  duties  upon  himself  until  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Macdonald,  of  Emerald  Hill  Presbyterian  Church, 
Melbourne,  was  appointed  agent  for  the  New  Hebrides 
Mission.  At  Sydney  again  crowds  of  visitors  flocked 
to  see  the  vessel ;  children,  all  aglow  with  excitement, 
speaking  of  "  our  ship  ".  As  Canadians,  some  of  us, 
I  must  confess,  felt  a  little  indignant  that  they  thus 
claimed  her.  "  She  is  our  ship,"  we  would  reply ;  "  we 
built  and  paid  for  her."  But  they  were  just  as  certain 
that  their  money  had  paid  for  her,  and  that  she  belonged 
to  them.  We  were  all  in  the  right ;  for  the  little  vessel 
belonged  to  the  young  people  of  both  countries,  and 
every  child  who  had  willingly  given  his  mite  and  thus 
owned  a  nail  or  plank,  as  he  strutted  along  the  deck,  felt 
as  proud,  I  verily  believe,  as  if  the  ship,  her  cargo, 
and  every  one  in  her  belonged  to  him  alone.  And  it 
was  well  that  it  was  so ;  for  the  very  fact  of  calling  her 
"  the  children's  ship  "  seemed  to  endear  the  Dayspring 
to  them  all. 

The  stay  in  Sydney  was  a  most  pleasant  one.  A 
party  of  Aneityumese  men,  who  were  acting  as  crew 
of  a  trading  vessel,  came  off  one  day  to  inspect  our  ship, 
and  I  heard  from  them  that  their  vessel  would  be  leaving 
for  the  islands  sooner  than  the  Dayspring.  This 
seemed  a  splendid  chance  of  sending  a  letter,  and,  as  all 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  93 

the  missionaries  were  on  shore,  I  wrote  myself  to  the 
Rev.  J.  Copeland,  our  missionary  there,  telhng  him  that 
the  Dayspring  would  be  at  Aneityum  in  a  month's  time. 
Mr.  Copeland,  on  receiving  it,  was  inclined  to  think 
that  an  Irishman  had  written  the  note,  as  no  date  ap- 
peared at  the  head  of  it,  but,  by  making  inquiries  of  the 
men  to  whom  I  had  given  it,  he  found  out  the  probable 
time  of  writing.  When  we  left  the  port  of  Sydney, 
friends  from  far  and  near  came  to  the  farewell  service. 
It  was  presided  over  by  one  who  was  ever  a  staunch 
believer  in  missions — my  revered  and  now  sainted 
friend,^  the  Rev.  Dr.  Steel  of  St.  Stephen's  Presbyterian 
Church.  I  recall  the  hthe,  handsome  figure,  the  bright 
glowing  countenance,  as,  roll  in  hand,  he  spoke — as  Dr. 
Steel  only  could  speak — words  of  loving  cheer  to  those 
who  were  about  to  leave.  He  closed  by  quoting  Dr. 
Judson's  reply  to  a  friend  who  asked  what  were  the 
promises  of  the  Burmese  Mission,  "  Bright  as  the  pro- 
mises of  God's  Word  ". 

At  Sydney,  the  number  of  the  Dayspring  s  passengers 
was  increased  by  the  addition  of  the  Rev.  S.  Ella,  Mrs. 
Ella  and  their  three  children.  Mr.  Ella  had  for  many 
years  been  connected  with  the  Samoan  Mission,  and 
was  now  on  his  way  to  Uvea,  in  the  Loyalty  Islands, 
off  New  Caledonia,  expecting  to  join  the  John 
Williams  at  Aneityum.  This  was  the  first  opportunity 
that  the  Presbyterian  Mission  had  had  to  repay,  in  some 
little  way,  the  untold  kindnesses  of  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society  to  their  workers  in  the  New  Hebrides, 
who,  during  all  the  years  that  they  had  had  no  vessel 
of  their  own,  had  been  regularly  visited  on  their  islands 
by  the  John  Williams,  and  helped  in  every  possible  way. 
Mr.  Ella  was  then  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  appearance 
dark  and  slight.  Gentle  and  courteous,  he  was  a 
thorough    English    gentleman,    and,    like    Mr.  Geddie, 


94  ERROMANGA 

my  ideal  of  what  a  missionary  should  be.  His  work 
and  people  seemed  to  be  ever  in  his  thoughts,  and  it 
was  a  great  trial  to  him  that,  on  going  to  the  Loyalty 
Islands,  he  was  not  allowed  by  the  French  to  land. 
Mrs.  Ella,  an  Irish  lady  of  exceptionally  high  culture, 
charmed  us  all  with  her  graphic  and  realistic  descriptions 
of  island  life  and  Samoan  etiquette.  I  could  never  tire 
listening  to  her  and  of  hearing  the  gentle,  refined  voice 
describe  in  such  an  interesting  and  pleasing  manner 
scenes  and  people  that  were  so  strange  and  yet  so 
fascinating  to  me.  The  charming  Irish  tact,  the  graceful 
compliments,  the  kind  and  sincere  heart,  endeared  Mrs. 
Ella  to  one  and  all.  She  has  only  just  been  "  called 
home,"  and  the  blank  which  she  has  left  in  many 
hearts  can  never  be  filled,  and  her  husband  has  since 
followed  her.  Her  long  life  of  love,  her  high  Christian 
character  and  deep  sympathy  with  every  one,  whether 
in  trouble  or  joy,  will  always  be  remembered  by  those 
who  have  been  able  to  call  her  a  friend.  On  board 
the  little  Dayspring  began  the  acquaintance  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ella  and  their  family,  a  friendship  that  lasted 
for  over  thirty-five  years.  Their  kindness  to  me  and 
mine  I  can  never  forget.  There  were  also  on  board 
the  mission-ship  Simeoni,  an  educated  Aitutaki  teacher, 
and  his  wife,  who  were  afterwards  settled  at  Erakor, 
on  the  island  of  Efate. 

A  gale  near  the  Isle  of  Pines,  at  the  southern  end  of 
New  Caledonia — the  only  bad  weather  since  leaving 
Halifax — detained  us  somewhat,  but  about  a  fortnight 
after  leaving  Sydney  we  sighted  Tanna,  and  the  next 
day,  5  th  June,  1864,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
we  cast  anchor  in  Anelcauhat  Harbour  of  Aneityum. 
Thirty-seven  years  have  passed  since  then,  and  yet  that 
beautiful  Sabbath  morning  and  all  that  took  place  dur- 
ing the  day  is  as  clear  in  my  mind    now    as    it    was 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  95 

then,  so  many  years  ago.  I  cannot  forget  the  strange 
charm  of  the  island  scenery,  the  lovely  little  harbour  of 
Anelcauhat,  with  its  blue,  blue  waters,  fringed  on  the 
south  by  the  small  coral  islands  of  Inyug  and  Nevin- 
yughas.  As  we  drew  nearer  to  our  anchorage,  we 
caught  a  glimpse  of  a  fine  substantial  church  and  also 
of  the  mission-house — a  low,  rambling  cottage  with 
thatched  roof,  half-concealed  amid  the  tall  waving  leaves 
of  the  cocoanut  palms  ;  if  you  add  to  this  the  sight  of 
the  fair  blue  sky  over  all,  you  have  the  picture  of 
Anelcauhat  as  I  first  saw  it  on  that  never-to-be-forgotten 
day. 

That  very  morning,  Mr.  Copeland  had  gone  to  the 
summit  of  the  little  hill  Nigthima,  at  the  back  of  the 
mission-house,  to  see  if  there  was  any  sign  of  the  vessel. 
On  reaching  the  highest  point,  the  little  Dayspring  was 
in  view.  Hurrying  back,  he  conducted  morning  service, 
and  by  the  time  that  was  over  we  had  reached  the 
anchorage.  From  the  deck  of  the  ship  we  could  see 
the  people  streaming  out  of  the  church  in  hundreds. 
Very  soon  Mr.  Copeland,  with  his  crew  of  Aneityumese, 
left  the  shore,  the  boat  being  eagerly  watched  by  us 
all.  How  disappointed  I  was  in  the  appearance  of  the 
natives!  I  had  been  expecting  to  see  a  fine,  stalwart 
race,  like  our  North  American  Indians ;  these  men  were 
very  different. 

Mr.  Copeland  did  not  wait  for  the  ladder  to  be  lowered, 
but  clambered  up  the  side  of  the  ship,  and,  with  Mr. 
Morrison's  help,  sprang  on  deck.  It  was  arranged  that 
he  should  bring  Mrs.  Copeland  off  in  the  afternoon, 
that  all  might  unite  in  a  thanksgiving  service  for  the 
safe  arrival  of  the  Dayspring.  This  was  accordingly 
done,  and,  a  pulpit  being  rigged  on  deck,  Mr.  Copeland 
gave  a  short  address  and  engaged  in  prayer,  Mr.  Morri- 
son acting  as  chairman.     During  Mr.   Copeland's  first 


96  ERROMANGA 

visit  to  the  Dayspring,  a  very  touching  incident  took 
place.  Umo,  an  Erromangan  who  accompanied  him, 
threw  himself  at  Mr.  Gordon's  feet  and  clung  to  him, 
weeping  like  a  child.  He  had  recognised  him  by  his 
strong  likeness  to  his  martyred  brother.  Little  did  we 
then  think  that  in  a  few  years  James  Gordon,  too,  would 
fall,  and  by  the  hand  of  an  Erromangan.  After  the 
service,  all  the  missionaries  landed  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ella. 
Later  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Reid,  the  second  officer,  and 
I  went  on  shore,  and  walked  along  the  beach  as  far  as 
the  grave  of  Mrs.  Matheson,  whom  Mr.  Reid  had  known 
in  Canada.  Towards  noon  the  next  day  we  caught 
sight  of  a  boat,  and,  as  it  drew  nearer,  saw  some  one 
sitting  in  the  stern,  dressed  in  a  white  suit  and  broad 
Panama  hat,  round  which  was  wound  a  turban,  and 
carrying  a  large  green  umbrella.  This  was  the  Rev. 
John  Inglis,  of  Aname,  who  had  come  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible to  the  harbour  to  welcome  the  new  arrivals.  On 
Wednesday,  Lathella,  who  had  returned  with  us  from 
Melbourne,  brought  a  handsome  present  of  native  food — 
taro,  pigs,  fowls,  cocoanuts,  sugar-cane,  yams — to  the 
Dayspring,  and  was  cordially  thanked  by  the  captain 
for  his  kindness.  That  same  evening,  Mrs.  Copeland 
gave  an  invitation  to  us  all  to  come  to  an  "  island 
supper "  at  her  house.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Morrison,  who  insisted  on  taking  my  place  on  board, 
I  was  able  to  accept  Mrs.  Copeland's  hospitality.  The 
bountiful  repast,  which  was  spread  in  the  dining-room, 
consisted  entirely  of  island  food,  such  as  native  pudding 
— quite  a  strange  dainty  to  us  all — pork,  fowl,  taro, 
boiled  and  roasted,  bread-fruit,  arrowroot,  blanc-mange, 
bananas — both  raw  and  baked — luscious  oranges  and 
the  refreshing  beverage  of  the  young  cocoanut  called 
nisnangneveng  on  Aneityum.  We  admired  the  deft 
way  in  which  Mrs.  Copeland's  native  maids  waited  on 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  97 

us  all.  We  were  also  very  much  amused  by  their  novel 
method  of  going  from  one  side  of  the  table  to  the 
other :  just  by  giving  their  short,  grass  skirts  a  "  swish," 
and  taking  a  short  cut  under  the  table,  coming  up  with 
a  final  "  swish  "  and  flourish  as  they  rose  on  the  other 
side,  their  faces  beaming.  I  don't  know  whether  many 
ladies  would  care  to  introduce  this  style  of  waiting  at 
their  tables,  though  it  has  many  advantages.  I  cannot 
quite  remember  whether  the  food  was  passed  under  too, 
or  whether  it  was  not  shot  over  the  heads  of  the  guests, 
gracefully  landing  on  the  outstretched  palm  of  the 
serving-maid,  as  she  emerged  from  the  depths  of  the 
"  place  below  ". 

About  a  week  after  our  arrival  I  left  the  Daysfring 
to  take  up  my  work  on  Aneityum,  as  agent  for  the  cotton 
company  which  I  have  already  mentioned.  At  first,  I 
only  arranged  to  take  the  post  for  six  months ;  before 
long,  however,  the  company  offered  me  the  position 
permanently.  Throughout  my  stay  of  four  and  a  half 
years  on  the  island  I  had  the  great  advantage  of  living 
in  Mr.  Inglis's  own  house  at  Aname — an  arrangement 
which  made  everything  pleasant  for  me.  At  Anelcauhat, 
too,  I  received  unbounded  kindness  from  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Geddie,  and,  during  their  absence  in  Canada,  from  the 
Copelands  and  M'Cullaghs.  With  Mrs.  Geddie  and 
Mrs.  Copeland,  who  were  Canadians,  their  homes  and 
mine  being  in  the  same  province,  many  topics  of  mutual 
interest  could  be  discussed.  Indeed,  it  would  be  hard 
to  decide  at  which  place,  Aname  or  Anelcauhat,  I  felt 
more  at  home,  such  was  the  kindness  and  interest  that 
all  showed  towards  me.  For  two  years  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Copeland  were  the  missionaries  of  Anelcauhat,  then  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  M'Cullagh  took  charge  until  the  return  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Geddie  from  Canada.     As  most  of  my  time  was 


98  ERROMANGA 

spent  at  Aname,  Mr.  Inglis's  station,  I  can  speak  more 
fully  of  the  daily  work  and  life  there. 

Everything  was  carried  on  in  a  methodical  manner, 
and  it  was  marvellous  to  see  the  amount  of  work  that 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Inglis  managed  to  do  in  one  day. 
Their  dispositions  were  very  different.  Mrs.  Inglis  was 
quick  of  perception,  ardent  and  impulsive,  and  spoke 
her  mind  with  no  uncertain  sound,  especially  in  cases 
of  meanness  or  wrong-doing.  She  was  a  wonderful 
manager,  and  trained  her  native  helpers  well.  No 
woman  possessed  a  kinder  heart  or  greater  sympathy, 
and  she  was  esteemed  by  every  one  for  her  sterling 
qualities.  Mr.  Inglis  was  calm  and  reflective,  and  had 
remarkable  control  over  his  feelings.  Being  very 
scholarly,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  his  study,  besides 
teaching  the  more  advanced  young  men  of  the  station 
four  days  in  every  week.  He  related  a  story  well,  and 
had  the  happy  knack  of  making  the  most  uninteresting 
subject  full  of  interest  to  his  listeners.  During  all  the 
years  I  knew  him  I  never  once  saw  him  ruffled  in  temper ; 
indeed,  Mrs.  Inglis  and  I  used  sometimes  to  think  he 
was  too  gentle,  making  kind  excuses  for  the  natives, 
alleging  indisposition  and  so  on,  when  we  knew  it  was 
downright  laziness  that  was  the  matter  with  them. 

How  cool  and  deliberate  he  was  on  the  rare  occasions 
that  the  mail-bag  came !  Even  in  these  days  now  when 
letters  come  six  times  during  the  year,  most  of  us  are 
more  or  less  excited  and  anxious  to  hear  the  news,  but 
then  it  was  only  once  in  a  year  that  we  had  regular  mails. 
Generally  a  boy  brought  the  letters  across  from  the 
harbour.  Mr.  Inglis  would  carry  the  bag  into  his  study, 
untie  the  string  and  put  it  away  carefully  in  a  drawer, 
then  very  deliberately  sort  the  letters,  hand  Mrs.  Inglis 
hers  and  give  me  mine,  while  his  own  large  budget  was 
'.'aid  aside  to  be  perused  carefully  later  on,     I  am  afraid 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  99 

our  haste  must  have  been  a  mystery  to  him,  for  we  lost 
no  time  in  tearing  off  the  envelopes  and  in  trying  to 
read  all  our  letters  at  once.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Inglis  were 
very  hospitable,  and  their  home  was  often  a  haven  of 
rest  to  their  fellow-missionaries,  worn  out  with  the  con- 
stant anxiety  and  nervous  strain  of  living  on  remote 
and  heathen  islands.  From  the  stations  of  Mr.  Geddie 
and  Mr.  Inglis  the  younger  missionaries  were  well  sup- 
plied with  Aneityumese  teachers  and  helpers.  And, 
though  now  the  natives  of  Aneityum  are  few  in  number, 
and  may,  perhaps,  have  lost  much  of  their  early  Christian 
spirit  and  missionary  zeal,  let  their  noble  efforts  of  by- 
gone days  never  be  forgotten.  When  all  the  other 
islanders  were  still  ignorant  and  savage  heathen,  the 
men  and  women  of  Aneityum  were  ready  at  any  time 
to  leave  their  homes  and  to  take  their  part  in  telling 
God's  message  of  love  to  those  sitting  in  darkness. 

The  mission  buildings  at  Aname  were  extensive,  and 
a  picture  of  neatness.  Besides  his  own  dwelling-house, 
Mr.  Inglis  had  stores  and  schoolrooms  and  also  houses 
for  the  boys  and  girls  under  training.  The  verandahs 
and  floors  of  some  of  the  rooms  were  of  concrete ;  these 
were  covered  with  fine  large  mats  of  native  workman- 
ship. The  roofs  of  thatch  had  to  be  secured  by  storm- 
rigging  ^  at  the  end  of  each  year,  so  as  to  withstand 
the  dangers  of  the  hurricane  season.  The  annual  house- 
cleaning,  which  began  in  April,  was  a  heavy  task ;  then, 
all  this  storm-rigging  was  removed,  and  often  the  house 
was  re-thatched,  and  room  after  room  had  to  be  white- 
washed. At  the  present  day  very  few,  if  any,  of  the 
mission-houses  in  the  New  Hebrides  are  covered  with 
thatch,  and  lime  is  very  little  used,  so  that  the  heavy 
labour  entailed  by  house-cleaning  in  the  old  time,  has, 
to  a  great  extent,  disappeared. 

The  young  people  under  training  were  in  charge  of  a 


loo  ERROMANGA 

native  called  Lazarus^  and  his  wife  Esther,  both  good 
helpers  for  many  years.  After  her  husband's  death  in 
1873,  Esther  continued  to  serve  faithfully  until  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Inglis  left  for  Scotland,  four  years  later.  Among 
other  workers  at  Aname  I  may  mention  Nalevatimi  and 
his  wife,  Theganua,  and  also  Epetineto,  who,  in  May 
1897,  during  the  Mission  Synod  at  Aneityum,  was  or- 
dained as  the  first  native  pastor  in  the  New  Hebrides. 

At  that  time  the  population  of  the  island  was  about 
2,000 ;  everything  seemed  bright,  and  the  prospects  of 
the  Mission  most  hopeful.  At  the  stations  of  the  two 
missionaries  a  busy  life  was  led,  though,  for  all  that, 
the  natives  seemed  to  have  a  large  amount  of  idle 
moments ;  for  the  young  men  and  boys  were  to  be  seen 
pacing  the  shore  in  an  easy  way,  poised  spears  in  their 
hands,  searching  for  fish,  while  at  low-tide  women  and 
children  were  away  out  near  the  reef  in  their  quest  for 
shell-fish.  Their  careless,  happy  existence  was  quite 
different  from  anything  I  had  seen  in  our  busy  home- 
land. Everything  here  seemed  so  strange  to  me — the 
gorgeous  tropical  plants,  the  graceful  cocoanut  palms, 
showing  their  feathery  outlines  against  the  background 
of  the  high  Anumeij  mountains,  enveloped  in  soft  mist, 
while  the  gentle  swish  of  the  waves  lapping  on  the  beach, 
and  their  louder  roar  and  dash  on  the  distant  reef — a 
sound  that  could  often  lull  one  to  sleep — with  the  soft 
rustle  of  the  palm  trees  at  night — all  lent  a  peculiar 
fascination  to  the  scene.  The  noise  made  by  the  mov- 
ing palms  is  often  apt  to  be  mistaken  for  light  rain. 
Once,  soon  after  our  arrival,  Mr.  Gordon  and  I  actually 
rose  from  our  beds  and  dressed  hurriedly  in  order  to  get 
some  cases  under  shelter,  only  to  find,  when  we  opened 
our  door,  a  lovely  moonlight  night  and  not  a  sign  of  rain. 

In  their  heathen  state  the  men  of  Aneityum  had  been 
dressed  like  the  other  New  Hebridean  savages,  if  dress 


TO  MY  LIFE-WORK  loi 

it  was.  The  women,,  however,  wore,  and  do  still  wear, 
skirts  made  of  the  pandanus  leaf.  A  great  number  of 
these  are  donned  at  one  time,  one  over  another,  and  as 
they  are  fairly  short,  just  reaching  to  the  knees,  they 
give  their  wearers  a  queer,  bunchy  appearance.  These 
skirts,  with  the  addition  of  a  short  print  jacket,  formed 
a  woman's  week-day  attire  ;  while  on  Sundays,  and  on  all 
state  occasions,  a  wonderful  head-gear,  in  the  form  of 
a  large  barrel-shaped  bonnet  made  of  plaited  -pandanus 
leaf,  surmounted  all.  These  bonnets  were  cut  into 
shape  and  sewed  by  Esther.  The  hair  on  the  women's 
heads  being  thick  and  woolly,  the  bonnets  were  usually 
worn  on  their  shoulders,  the  strings  being  tied  securely 
in  front,  and  the  Aneityumese  belle  thus  equipped  was, 
to  herself  and  her  admirers,  a  thing  of  beauty.  The 
men,  as  Christians,  were  clad  in  shirts  and  short  kilts  or 
lava-lava,  no  covering  being  worn  on  their  heads. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM.— MY  CALL  COMES  SUDDENLY. 

The  time  of  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  L.M.S.'s  John 
Williams  seemed  long.  We  expected  that,  soon  after 
our  reaching  Aneityum  in  the  Dayspring  in  June,  1864, 
the  John  Williams  would  appear  there.  We  were  be- 
£^inning  to  fear  that  something  untoward  had  happened, 
when  the  schooner  Spec  came  into  the  harbour  and 
reported  the  total  wreck  of  the  Missionary  Society's 
vessel  off  Niue  or  Savage  Island,  in  the  mid-Pacific. 
On  the  Dayspring  s  return  from  the  Loyalty  group,  with 
Mr.  Ella  still  on  board,  disappointed  in  his  desire  to 
settle  on  Uvea,  it  was  decided  that  something  must  be 
done  to  help  on  the  work  of  the  missionaries  in  the 
other  groups  in  these  seas.  For  this  purpose,  the  John 
Knox,  the  little  schooner  of  twelve  and  a  half  tons,  whicn 
had  been  in  use  for  mission-work  for  the  previous 
seven  years,  was  repaired  by  Mr.  Reid,  one  of  the 
officers,  and  the  sailors  of  the  Dayspring.  Mr.  Cope- 
land  and  I  overhauled  a  large  quantity  of  goods  which 
lay  here,  belonging  to  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
and  packed  them  in  small  cases.  As  many  as  possible 
of  these  were  then  stowed  in  the  little  vessel.  Our 
missionaries,  in  consultation,  had  decided  tc  send  the 
John  Knox  on  this  errand,  as,  they  said,  it  would  not 
make  much  difference  if  she  were  seized  by  the  French 
or  not  About  200  natives  gathered  to  help  in  the 
launching.     Mr.  Copeland  stood  on  the  shore,  swinging 

(102) 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  103 

his  arms  and  urging  them  on  with  akaija,  akaija,  '  all  to- 
gether,' and  the  response  was  quick  and  willing.  The 
schooner  left  for  the  Loyalty  group,  under  the  command 
of  Mr.  Currie,  who  was  able  to  carry  out  all  his  instruc- 
tions, and  landed  everything  safely  for  the  London 
Society's  missionaries  there. 

When  the  Dayspring  got  to  Sydney,  she  needed  re- 
pairs and  stores;  but,  funds  having  fallen  behind,  this 
seemed  impossible.  Just  at  this  time  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Paton,  accompanied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niven,  of  the 
Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland,  arrived  in 
the  Colonies.  Mr.  Paton  had  gone  to  the  home  countries 
three  years  previously,  in  order  to  collect  money  ^  for 
the  building  of  the  Dayspring,  and  to  plead  for  more 
missionaries.  His  efforts  had  been  crowned  with  great 
success,  but  help  was  now  needed  again.  As  soon  as 
he  knew  of  the  trouble,  with  his  characteristic  energy,  he 
at  once  set  to  work  to  obtain  the  necessary  funds.  He 
was  soon  able  to  hand  over  to  the  Mission  about  ^^500, 
which  enabled  Captain  Fraser  to  repair  and  provision 
the  ship,  pay  the  crew,  and  fit  the  Dayspring  for  her 
next  cruise  among  the  islands.  Early  in  June,  1865,  she 
arrived  at  Aneityum,  having  as  passengers  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Paton  and  child,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niven,  Mrs.  Fraser,  and 
also  Mrs.  Ella,  who  with  her  little  boy  was  on  her 
way  to  rejoin  her  husband  at  Uvea.  After  the  annual 
meeting  which  was  that  year  held  at  Aname,  on  Aneit- 
yum, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niven,  who  had  resigned  their  con- 
nection with  our  Mission,  returned  to  Sydney.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Paton  also  left  by  the  Dayspring.  I  believe  it  was 
during  that  year  that  Mr.  Paton  succeeded  in  getting  a 
number  of  Sunday  schools  in  Victoria  to  guarantee  £'^ 
yearly  for  the  support  of  native  teachers  on  our  islands 
— a  splendid  plan.^  Mr.  Copeland,  too,  was  on  furlough 
in  New  Zealand,  having  left  the  islands  in  ill-health  some 


I04  ERROMANGA 

time  previously,  so  that  during  that  year  there  were  only 
four  missionaries  in  the  group. 

After  I  had  been  nearly  two  years  on  Aneityum, 
great  preparations  began  for  the  return  to  it  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Geddie.  They  had  had  a  warm,  an  enthusiastic 
welcome  from  the  Churches  in  Canada — those  of  the 
"  Kirk "  Maritime  Provinces,  as  well  as  from  his  own 
branch — for  the  union  of  the  Presbyterian  Churches  in 
Canada  had  not  yet  taken  place.  This  visit  of  their 
first  missionary,  and  one  who  had  done  successful 
work,  was  a  more  than  ordinary  event,  and  his  earnest 
addresses  and  the  simple  story  of  his  labours  on  Aneit- 
yum had  a  most  thrilling  effect  on  his  hearers.  Since  she 
sent  out  her  first  missionary,  our  Canadian  Church  has 
been  a  living  Church.  Her  growth  has  been  marvellous, 
and  as  there  has  been  an  increase  of  spiritual  grace,  so 
there  has  been  a  steady  increase  of  missionary  zeal. 
Her  Mission  roll  now  contains  about  280  names.  Before 
his  return,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  had  been 
conferred  on  Mr.  Geddie  by  Montreal  University.  Just 
about  this  time  three  young  men,  Messrs.  Cosh,  Neilson 
and  Macnair,  offered  themselves  as  missionaries  for  the 
New  Hebrides.  They  awaited  Mr.  Geddie's  arrival  in 
Scotland  from  Canada,  that  they  might  proceed  to  the 
islands  together,  and  so  they  all  took  passage  in  the 
Fearnought,  a  sailing  ship,  and  arrived  in  Melbourne 
early  in  1866. 

About  the  same  date  the  new  John  Williams,  which 
had  replaced  the  vessel  wrecked  off  Savage  Island, 
reached  Sydney  from  England  with  a  number  of  mis- 
sionaries on  board.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  Fear- 
nought, Mr.  Neilson  was  married  to  Miss  Geddie,  who 
had  accompanied  her  father  and  mother  from  Canada. 
This  year  marked  an  era  in  the  Victorian  Church,  for 
Messrs.  Paton  and  Cosh  became  their  representatives 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  105 

in  the  Mission.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copeland  having  joined 
the  other  missionaries  in  Sydney,  the  two  vessels  pre- 
pared to  leave.  As  there  were  so  many  to  go  to  the 
New  Hebrides,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Geddie  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Neilson  agreed  to  take  passage  in  the  John  Williams 
as  far  as  Aneityum,  the  others  leaving  Sydney  a  week 
earlier  in  the  Dayspring.  I  was  at  Anelcauhat  with  the 
M'Cullaghs  when  she  reached  Aname.  Poor  Mrs. 
M'Cullagh  was  very  ill  at  the  time.  She  was  so  eager 
to  have  everything  in  perfect  readiness  for  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Geddie's  return  that  she  worked  beyond  her 
strength,  and  now  the  excitement  of  the  Dayspring  s 
arrival  and  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  John  Williams 
in  a  few  days  completely  prostrated  her.  However,  she 
soon  recovered,  and  with  us  all,  natives  included,  was 
able  to  go  on  with  the  preparations.  Meanwhile,  the 
Dayspring  had  left  for  the  northern  islands. 

What  excitement  there  was  at  the  harbour  when 
the  John  Willia^ns  came  in  sight!  We  watched  her 
anxiously  as  she  headed  up  to  the  anchorage,  but  soon 
our  excitement  became  dismay  when  the  beautiful  little 
ship  crashed  on  the  coral  reef.  Her  forefoot  was  torn 
away  and  the  water  rushed  in  in  torrents,  so  much  so 
that  her  cargo  was  completely  ruined.  All  hands  set 
to  work,  crew  and  missionaries  taking  their  turn  at  the 
pumps,  and  doing  all  in  their  power,  ably  helped  by  the 
boats  of  the  Mission  and  of  Underwood  the  trader.  All 
our  efforts,  however,  proved  useless,  and  she  gradually 
settled  down  by  the  stern.  The  Mission  boat  with  its 
flag  bearing  the  words  "  Welcome  Home,"  then  left  the 
ship  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Geddie,  their  youngest  child,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neilson.  As  the  boat  neared  the  beach, 
everything  seemed  to  show  the  interest  and  pleasure 
in  their  return.  The  Union  Jack  floated  from  a  flagstaff 
that  I  had  specially  rigged  for  the  day  on  the  hill  at 


io6  ERROMANGA 

the  back  of  the  house ;  the  grounds,  always  beautiful, 
looked  doubly  so  that  day,  and  the  lovely  spot  itself 
seemed  to  breathe  a  welcome.  As  the  boat  touched  the 
shore  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neilson  stepped  out,  and,  at  a 
sign  from  Lathella,  the  chief,  with  a  shout  the  men 
gathered  near,  lifted  the  boat  clear  out  of  the  water, 
and  carried  it  and  its  occupants  up  to  the  gate  of  the 
mission  pj'emises.  Lathella  then  led  Mrs.  Geddie  up  to 
the  house.  The  path  was  lined  with  people  eager  to 
see  them,  and  I  noticed  that  both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Geddie 
were  deeply  affected  by  the  sincere  and  hearty  welcome 
that  had  been  g^ven  to  them. 

Of  course,  the  accident  to  the  John  Williams  cast 
somewhat  of  a  shadow  over  our  rejoicings.  By  this  time 
all  had  landed  except  Captain  Williams  (in  charge  of  the 
ship)  and  his  wife,  and  also  the  Rev.  James  Chalmers,^ 
the  well-known  missionary  of  New  Guinea,  and  his 
wife.  Chalmers,  with  his  head  bandaged  (it  had  been 
injured  by  the  pump  handle),  and  his  sleeves  rolled  up, 
worked  like  a  hero.  The  work  went  on  day  after  day, 
perhaps  as  many  as  one  hundred  natives  being  constantly 
employed  They  were  hearty  and  willing,  and  the  way 
they  helped  was  beyond  all  praise. 

M'Beth,  a  thrifty  Scot,  the  apprentice  boy  on  the  John 
Williams,  came  to  me  one  day  with  a  rather  troubled 
face. 

"  Mr.  Robertson,"  said  he,  rolling  the  "  r  "  as  only  a 
true  Scot  can  do,  "will  ye  alloo  me  to  put  ma  box  in 
your  store?  If  the  auld  John  Williams  is  going  to  the 
bottom,  I  don't  want  to  loose  ma  claes ;  for,  man,  ye 
ken,  things  are  terrible  dear  in  the  Colonies."  And  thus 
he  secured  his  "  claes  "  from  harm. 

After  a  week  of  incessant  work,  the  ship  moved  into 
deep  water,  and  redoubled  energy  had  then  to  be  put 
forth  in  order  to  keep  her  afloat. 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  107 

It  was  then  arranged  that  she  should  return  to  Sydney, 
accompanied  by  the  Dayspring,  under  Captain  Eraser's 
command,  who  would  be  ready  to  remove  the  passengers 
and  crew  in  case  of  danger.  A  party  of  Aneityumese, 
twenty-two  in  all,  went  as  pumpers,  and,  as  I  knew  the 
language,  the  missionaries  suggested  to  me  that  I  should 
accompany  them  as  interpreter.  I  had  been  suffering  a 
good  deal  from  fever,  and  looked  forward  with  pleasure 
to  the  change  in  Sydney.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chalmers 
travelled  in  the  John  Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M'CuUagh 
taking  passage  in  the  Dayspring.  It  was  rather  an 
exciting  experience  for  all,  especially  for  us  on  the  John 
Williams.  Captain  Eraser  wrote  out  a  code  of  signals 
to  be  used  in  case  of  the  ships  becoming  separated.  The 
passage  was  a  long  one — twenty-two  days.  At  first  we 
had  good  weather,  but,  as  we  got  nearer  the  Australian 
coast,  it  became  very  squally  and  bitterly  cold,  with  hail 
and  thunder  continuing  for  hours.  We  once  lost  sight 
of  the  Dayspring  for  twelve  hours.  By  some  mistake 
on  the  part  of  the  second  officer,  three  white  lights  on 
the  John  Williams  had  been  so  hung  that  Captain 
Eraser  took  them  as  the  signal  to  "  go  about ".  When 
we  came  on  deck  that  evening  about  nine  o'clock  there 
was  not  a  sign  of  the  Dayspring.  Mr.  Turpie  (now  Cap- 
tain Turpie,  who  has  been  so  long  in  command  of  the 
John  Williams)  called  out,  as  he  glanced  at  the  three 
gleaming  lights  above  :  "  What  is  the  meaning  of  this .? 
where  is  the  Dayspring?"  As  soon  as  possible  the 
signal  was  changed,  but  it  was  hours  before  the  roistake 
was  known  on  the  other  ship.  Captain  Eraser,  on  notic- 
ing the  first  signal,  at  once  went  about  but  after  keeping 
on  that  tack  for  some  time,  he  began  to  suspect  that 
some  blunder  had  been  made,  and  returned.  All  through 
the  voyage  there  had  been  a  friendly  rivalry  between  the 
two  ships,  and,  of  course,  as  I  was  a  "  Dayspringite  "  on 


io8  ERROMANGA 

their  deck,  I  got  much  chaff  from  the  John  Williams^ 
folks.  "  Look  at  the  httle  thing  panting  behind,"  Mr. 
Turpie  would  say,  holding  a  tow  rope  at  the  stern  of 
the  John  Williams ;  "well  done,  little  one!"  When 
my  ship  hove  in  sight,  tearing  along  under  full  canvas, 
after  being  so  long  missing,  I  tried  to  turn  the  tables  on 
him,  "  True  blue  for  ever  ! "  I  shouted  ;  "  the  Dayspring 
has  been  to  Sydney,  and  is  coming  back  with  our  mails." 
Twelve  out  of  the  twenty-two  Aneityumese  became 
ill  as  we  drew  near  the  coast.  Poor  fellows!  they 
worked  well,  but  it  was  a  great  strain  on  all.  Mr. 
Geddes,  the  second  officer  of  the  John  Williams,  was 
kindness  itself  to  the  men,  and  would  do  anything  for 
them.  Sometimes  the  ship  made  three  feet  of  water 
in  an  hour.  We  were  all  glad  to  reach  Sydney  in  safety 
at  last.  I  don't  think  I  ever  in  my  hfe  slept  for  such 
a  long  stretch  at  a  time  after  getting  ashore.  I  went 
to  bed  at  ten  o'clock  one  morning,  and  did  not  wake  till 
late  the  evening  of  the  next  day!  The  Dayspring 
spent  only  two  days  in  port,  and  then  returned  to 
Aneityum,  taking  the  twenty-two  native  pumpers  back 
in  her.  I  waited  for  the  repair  of  the  John  Williams, 
and  spent  several  weeks  in  Sydney,  enjoying  the  com- 
plete change.  During  the  whole  time  I  was  the  guest 
of  the  Rev.  W.  M'Intyre,*  who  was  then  minister  of 
St.  George's.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M'Intyre  made  my  stay 
very  pleasant,  and  nothing  could  have  exceeded  their 
kindness.  During  that  visit  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meet- 
ing Mrs.  Buzacott,  widow  of  the  missionary  of  Raro- 
tonga.  When  the  time  for  leaving  Sydney  was  come, 
the  fever  had  quite  gone  from  me,  and  I  felt  fit  for  any 
work.  The  John  Williams,  well  repaired  and  looking 
herself  again,  had  a  quick  run  to  the  islands.  We  left 
on  a  Thursday,  and  the  following  Thursday  I  handed 
Mr.  Neilson  the  Sydney  Morning  Herald,  dated  just  a 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  109 

week  before.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chalmers  and  also  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  M'Cullagh  returned  in  her.  The  Dayspring  ran 
up  all  her  flags  and  fired  a  salute  as  we  sailed  into 
Anelcauhat  Harbour.  While  we  were  in  Sydney,  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  missionaries  on  the  islands  had 
been  held,  at  which  Mr.  Copeland  had  been  settled  on 
Futuna,  Mr.  Paton  on  Aniwa,  Mr.  Cosh  on  Pango  of 
Efate,  and  Mr.  Neilson  had  been  appointed  to  Tanna. 
However,  at  that  time  the  Tannese  were  unwilling  to 
receive  them ;  so  for  some  time  Mr.  Neilson  took  charge 
of  the  Erakor  station  on  Efate,  Mr.  Morrison  having 
left  in  failing  health.  Afterwards  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neilson 
returned  to  Tanna  and  were  settled  at  Port  Resolution, 
where  they  did  sixteen  years  of  work. 

All  the  time  that  the  John  Williams  was  in  Sydney, 
the  shipwrecked  missionaries  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society — Messrs.  Davis,  Watson  and  Saville — had  been 
on  Aneityum.  They  now  left  for  their  respective  sta- 
tions in  their  own  ship.  But  the  John  Williams  seemed 
doomed.  During  a  calm,  she  went  ashore  on  the  same 
reef  off  Savage  Island  where  her  predecessor  had  come 
to  grief,  and  became  a  total  wreck.  The  passengers 
and  crew  reached  the  shore  in  boats.  No  lives  were  lost, 
but  we  heard  that  two  or  three  little  children  died  some 
time  afterwards  from  the  effects  of  exposure  at  the  time 
of  the  disaster.  The  third  Joht  Williams,  a  barque, 
which  replaced  the  wrecked  vessel,  was  the  same  that 
did  the  work  of  the  Society  for  so  many  years,  until  she 
was  superseded  by  the  present  auxiliary  steamer^  which 
bears  the  same  name. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1868,  I  had  sunstroke,  and 
suffered  very  much  from  its  effects.  About  May,  the 
Dayspring  arrived  at  Aneityum,  having  as  passengers 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sim,  from  Ballarat,  Victoria,  who  were 
taking  the  voyage  for  the  benefit  of  their  health,  and 


no  ERROMANGA 

were  deeply  interested  in  mission-work.  Their  visit 
to  the  islands  being  now  ended,  it  was  arranged  that 
the  Dayspring  should  take  them  to  Noumea,  whence 
they  could  proceed  to  Sydney  by  steamer.  I  resolved  to 
take  advantage  of  this  trip,  and  to  go  to  Noumea  in 
order  to  consult  a  doctor.  The  Dayspring  called  at 
Aniwa  to  pick  up  Mrs.  Paton,  who  was  taking  her  child 
— also  for  medical  treatment — to  New  Caledonia.  We 
called,  too,  at  Erromanga,  and  saw  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
nair  and  Mr.  Gordon.  Only  a  very  short  stay  was  made 
there.  Yomot,  the  Christian  native  already  mentioned, 
engaged  to  go  with  us  as  boat's  crew.  Mr.  Gordon 
objected,  but  Yomot  said  he  wished  to  get  clothes;  so 
the  Captain  agreed  to  take  him.  Very  soon  after  our 
arrival  in  Noumea,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sim  left  for  Sydney. 
Unfortunately,  they  could  only  get  passages  in  a  miser- 
able little  steamer  that  happened  to  be  leaving  just  then, 
but  they  could  not  wait,  and  were  glad  to  get  even  that 
chance  of  reaching  the  Colonies.  The  French  doctor 
was  consulted  by  Mrs.  Paton  and  also  by  myself,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  we  left  on  our  return.  Certainly 
I  benefited  by  the  treatment,  and,  though  still  weak, 
felt  decidedly  better.  We  again  called  at  Erromanga, 
and  at  Tanna,  Futuna  and  Aniwa,  where  we  landed 
Mrs.  Paton  and  her  child. 

During  the  rainy  season  of  1867,  Mr.  Gordon  had 
paid  a  visit  to  New  South  Wales.  His  addresses  there 
were  much  appreciated,  and  had  stirred  the  interest  of 
many.  Before  going  away  again,  he  was  asked  to  be  the 
missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  that  Colony, 
and  agreed  to  the  request.  He  had  a  warm  place  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people,  especially  the  young  people,  of  New 
South  Wales,  and  his  memory  is  still  cherished  by  those 
who  knew  him  then.  He  returned  from  Sydney  to 
Aneityum  in  a  whahng  vessel  called  the  Coquette.     The 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  in 

timber  and  materials  for  his  house  were  on  board,  and 
were  landed  at  Aneityum,  while  Mr.  Gordon  himself 
accepted  the  captain's  kind  offer  to  carry  him  on  to 
Erromanga. 

In  the  early  part  of  1868,  there  came  from  Canada  a 
letter  which  changed  my  whole  life.  At  Anelcauhat 
one  evenmg,  after  prayers,  Dr.  Geddie  asked  me  to 
stay  with  him  for  a  few  minutes  before  retiring  to  my 
room.  He  then  read  a  letter,  addressed  to  him,  from 
the  Convener  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee  of  the 
Church  of  the  Maritime  Provinces,  Canada,  asking  that 
I  should  be  their  first  missionary ;  for  Dr.  Geddie,  the 
earliest  missionary,  had  been  sent  by  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Canada.  For  some  time  the  "  Kirk  "  * 
had  been  pleading  for  representatives  in  the  foreign 
field.  There  had  been  no  response.  The  Rev.  Andrew 
Herdman,  M.A.,  brother  of  the  late  Dr.  Herdman,  Con- 
vener of  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church  in  Scotland  at  that  time,  suggested  my 
name,  having  known  me  well  as  one  connected  with  his 
church  years  before.  The  letter  asked  Dr.  Geddie  to 
put  the  matter  before  me,  and,  if  I  should  decide  to 
take  up  this  work,  to  consult  with  his  brother  mission- 
aries as  to  the  advisability  of  my  remaining  in  the 
islands  and  preparing  for  my  future  work  under  the 
direction  of  one  or  more  of  the  missionaries.  The 
matter  of  first  moment  was,  of  course,  my  acceptance 
of  the  offer.  The  letter  came  as  a  complete  surprise, 
and,  at  first,  I  must  confess  the  contents  were  almost  a 
shock  to  me.  I  could  not  give  an  answer  there  and 
then,  and  asked  Dr.  Geddie,  who  spoke  most  kindly  and 
sympathetically,  for  time  to  consider  the  question.  It 
was  not  till  after  long  and  prayerful  consideration  that 
I  decided,  God  helping  me,  to  consecrate  my  life  to  this 
great  work.     I  liave  never  regretted  the  step,  for  surely 


112  ERROMANGA 

God  whose  hand  has  led  me,  has  been  my  Help  and 
Guide,  and  His  blessings  on  us  and  our  work  have  been 
manifold. 

The  suggestion  that  I  should  remain  in  the  islands, 
and  prepare  there  for  my  work,  I  never  for  one  moment 
entertained.  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  enter 
the  mission-field  only  as  a  fully  accredited  minister,  not 
as  a  lay  preacher.  At  the  meeting  held  at  Aneityum 
that  year  the  subject  was  carefully  discussed ;  Mr.  Cope- 
land  was  chairman.  After  some  time  I  was  sent  for, 
and  my  own  opinion  heard.  All  the  missionaries,  with 
the  exception  of  two,  were  strongly  in  favour  of  my 
going  home  to  study.  Dr.  Geddie  and  Mr.  Gordon 
thought  I  should  remain  in  the  islands  and  at  once  com- 
mence mission-work.  In  substance,  the  minute  passed 
on  the  question  was  :  "  The  application  of  the  committee 
having  been  laid  before  Mr.  Robertson  and  his  opinion 
having  been  heard,  this  meeting  does  not  see  its  way 
clear  to  adopt  the  course  indicated,  but  would  recom- 
mend that  he  should  return  to  Nova  Scotia,  that  the 
Church  there  should  give  him  every  facility  to  prosecute 
his  studies,  that  he  should  be  ordained,  and  this  Mission 
will  cordially  welcome  him  as  a  fellow-labourer  in  these 
seas ".  It  was  then  arranged  that  I  should  leave  the 
New  Hebrides  towards  the  end  of  that  year,  1868. 

For  over  a  year  Mr.  Inglis,  Dr.  Geddie  and  I  had 
all  been  very  much  disappointed  with  the  prospects 
of  the  cotton  company  for  which  I  was  agent.  The 
natives  had  not  taken  to  the  work  as  heartily  as  we 
expected.  The  company,  in  the  first  instance,  had  been 
formed  on  the  recommendation  of  Mr.  Inglis,  so  that, 
to  a  certain  extent,  he  felt  responsible  for  the  issue. 
With  Dr.  Geddie,  he  had  the  power  of  attorney  over  me, 
and,  long  before  my  decision  to  leave  Aneityum,  had 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  113 

recommended  the  winding-up  of  the  company's  affairs. 
My  movements  had  no  connection  with  this  resolve  of 
his,  although,  when  the  application  came  for  me  from 
the  Canadian  Church  and  I  accepted  it;,  Mr.  Inglis  and 
Dr.  Geddie  both  decided  to  carry  it  into  effect.  The 
cotton  machinery  was  sold,  and  the  Directors  informed 
of  the  reasons  for  abandoning  the  venture.  I  found  out 
afterwards  that  they  were  rather  disappointed ;  they 
did  not  consider  it  a  failure,  as  their  primary  reason 
was  not  so  much  to  make  money,  as  to  encourage  the 
natives  in  commerce  and  thus  indirectly  to  further  the 
interests  of  the  Mission.  However,  they  very  rightly 
agreed  that  those  who  were  acting  for  them  and  on  the 
spot  were  the  best  judges  in  the  matter.  The  natives, 
when  they  heard  that  I  was  leaving,  came  to  the  mis- 
sionaries and  to  myself,  begging  me  to  remain,  and 
promising  that  they  would  do  their  best  to  prosper  the 
growing  of  cotton  ;  but  our  minds  were  made  up.  We 
told  them  that  there  was  no  prospect  of  any  one  coming 
to  take  my  place.  Though  willing  to  help,  they  had  far 
too  little  energy  to  make  the  undertaking  a  success. 
During  my  entire  stay  on  Aneityum,  I  must  say  that  the 
people  had  been  particularly  kind  to  me,  and  were 
always  ready  to  carry  out  my  wishes.  I  became  very 
much  attached  to  them  all,  and  often  look  back  on  the 
pleasant  years  spent  on  their  island  now  long,  long  ago. 
And  when  the  time  came  for  me  to  leave  them,  we 
parted  the  very  best  of  friends. 

In  my  dealings  with  them  as  the  company's  agent, 
when  I  first  gave  money  to  the  natives,  some  of  their 
blunders  were  very  amusing.  They  said  they  did  not 
want  money,  it  was  "  no  good " ;  they  would  much 
prefer  calico  and  print.  It  was  a  long  time  before  they 
understood  that  money  would  buy  these  things  for  them. 
When  they  did  at  last  realise  that,   money  became  a 


114  ERROMANGA 

wonderful  thing,  and  they  had  the  most  extraordinary 
notions  of  its  value,  expecting  to  buy  a  shawl  for  one 
or  two  coppers.  I  remember  a  man  coming  to  me  once 
very  confidentially,  and  showing  me  some  great  treasure 
he  had.  Layer  after  layer  of  banana  leaf  was  removed, 
strips  of  grass  and  leaves  thrown  away,  and  at  last  there 
lay  revealed  one  penny.  In  return  for  this  he  asked 
"  one  red  blanket,  one  packet  of  tea,  one  packet  of 
sugar,  one  rat-trap  ".  I  asked  him  what  else  he  would 
like  with  the  balance  of  the  money.  "  Ah,  Mr.  Robertson  ! 
I  will  just  leave  that  to  yourself,"  he  replied ;  "  give  me 
what  you  think  best,  for  there  is  nothing  on  all  this  earth 
that  is  not  good." 

Fortunately  for  me  I  had  picked  up  the  Aneityumese 
language  very  quickly,  although  like  others,  I  had 
made  most  ludicrous  mistakes  at  first.  Mrs.  Cope- 
land  very  kindly  gave  me  every  help,  and  I  learnt  by 
heart  a  number  of  useful  expressions.  But  at  first,  after 
I  had  been  on  shore  about  three  days,  I  was  sure  that  I 
knew  the  language  very  well  indeed.  My  shoes  were 
wet,  and  needed  drying ;  so  I  took  them  into  the  kitchen, 
and  handed  them  to  the  cook  telling  him  to  "  burn  " 
them  well.  He  obeyed  me  unquestioningly ;  for  one 
shoe  was  so  well  burnt  that  there  was  nothing  of  it  left. 
Mrs.  Copeland  rescued  the  other  one,  but  what  was  one 
shoe  without  its  mate.  I  suppose  I  deserved  to  have 
my  self-assurance  humbled;  certainly  this  taught  me 
a  lesson.  We  notice  that,  whenever  we  make  blunders, 
our  natives  are  extremely  polite  and  will  rarely  smile 
at  what  must  be  most  absurd  renderings  of  their  lan- 
guage. Indeed,  they  are  far  more  careful  of  our  feel- 
ings in  this  respect  than  we  white  people  of  theirs. 
As  a  rule,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  laugh  heartily  at  a 
blunder  made  in  English  by  a  foreigner,  but  our  natives 
do  not  do  so.     If  a  beginner  in  the  language  is  speaking, 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  115 

they  generally  understand  what  is  meant  and  will 
politely  assent  to  what  is  said.  Sometimes  a  native 
with  a  strong  vein  of  fun  in  his  nature  will  give  way, 
and  burst  into  a  peal  of  laughter  at  an  absurd  mistake, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  they  have  many  a  humorous 
moment  over  these  mistakes  behind  our  backs.  The 
change  of  one  letter  in  a  word  will  make  a  great  differ- 
ence. Mrs.  M'Cullagh  one  day  told,  or  thought  she  told, 
her  cook  to  whitewash  the  kitchen  and  blacken  the  stove. 
After  some  time  he  came,  all  smiles,  asking  us  to  go 
and  inspect  his  work.  At  the  door,  he  stood  aside,  with 
a  look  of  conscious  pride,  that  we  might  enter  first. 
What  a  sight  met  our  eyes!  He  had  whitewashed 
the  kitchen,  whitewashed  the  stove,  the  stove-pipe,  and 
every  pot  and  pan  in  the  place.  Mr.  M'Cullagh  was 
indignant  at  such  stupidity,  and  the  poor  cook  was  quite 
crestfallen,  while  Mrs.  M'Cullagh  and  I  stood  by  con- 
vulsed with  laughter. 

When  I  was  first  on  my  way  to  the  islands,  in  1864, 
ana  while  yet  in  Sydney,  Mr.  Gordon  suggested  to  Mrs. 
M'Intyre,  in  whose  house  we  were  staying,  that  it  would 
be  a  nice  thing  to  present  a  cart,  plough  and  harrows  to 
Lathella,  the  High  Chief  of  Aneityum,  who  was  also 
with  us.  Mr.  Gordon  had  heard  that  Lathella  already 
possessed  cattle.^  Mrs.  MTntyre  took  up  the  idea  with 
interest,  and  soon  after,  with  other  friends,  made  La- 
thella a  gift  of  several  implements  for  ploughing.  Mr. 
Gordon  said  he  would  teach  him  to  plough.  Soon  after 
we  reached  Aneityum,  Lathella  got  his  first  lesson. 
These  wild  bulls  of  his  had  never  been  yoked  before, 
and  it  took  about  150  natives  to  catch  them.  The 
first  lesson  was  a  fair  success  ;  for,  of  course,  Mr.  Gordon 
did  not  attempt  to  do  more  than  yoke  the  animals.  One 
day,  after  he  had  left  for  Erromanga,  Lathella  resolved 


ii6  ERROMANGA 

to  do  some  ploughing.  I  suggested  to  him  to  yoke  the 
bulls  to  a  log  first,  and  gradually  get  them  used  to  a 
plough ;  but  no  ;  he  insisted  that  they  should  begin  as 
they  were  to  end,  and  it  was  by  much  persuasion  only 
that  he  was  led  to  try  the  log  for  a  start  even.  I  got  him 
to  make  a  V-shaped  enclosure,  and  after  some  time  the 
people  managed  to  get  one  bull  inside,  and  yoked  him, 
fastening  the  yoke  to  a  tree.  Women  and  boys  from 
their  vantage  ground  of  cocoanut  trees  yelled  directions 
to  everybody.  By  the  time  we  yoked  the  second  bull, 
the  first  had  torn  and  trampled  the  ground  for  yards 
around.  We  yoked  them  to  a  log,  and  off  they  started 
up  and  down  near  the  shore  at  a  terrific  pace,  until  at 
last  the  poor  brutes  fairly  panted.  Lathella  was  charmed 
with  the  way  they  were  being  broken  in,  and  said  he 
would  put  them  in  the  plough  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
next  place  he  turned  them  to  was  the  food  plantation. 
But  the  whole  settlement  was  traversed  before  reaching 
the  swamp  where  the  food  plants  grew,  though  we  aimed 
at  it  from  the  first.  As  long  as  we  could  keep  the  bulls 
out  of  the  church  and  mission-house,  we  did  not  care  so 
much  about  the  circuitous  route  they  took.  I  told  La- 
thella that  he  would  want  clear  ground  with  no  trees 
for  training  them.  He  and  the  other  natives  seemed  to 
think  that  the  more  trees  there  were  the  better.  Waiheit, 
one  of  the  most  courageous  of  all,  held  a  great  nagaijai — 
a  pole  for  canoeing  in  shallow  water — to  protect  himself, 
and  every  one  carried  a  stick  or  weapon  of  some  kind. 
By  the  time  we  left  the  shore,  the  women  were  thor- 
oughly frightened,  and  flew  to  their  own  houses  for 
shelter.  Just  beyond  the  swamp  the  log  snapped  across 
two  trees,  and,  after  tearing  round  some  time,  knocking 
themselves  against  trees,  Lathella's  eyes  almost  standing 
out  of  his  head,  as  he  called  aloud,  Atapenis!  atapenis! 
'shut   them  off!   shut  them  off!'   the  animals  became 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  117 

thoroughly  tired.  Only  the  stronger  and  more  courageous 
of  the  men  were  with  us ;  the  others  had  disappeared  by 
this  time.  I  told  Lathella  it  was  madness  to  put  them  in 
the  plough,  but  he  was  determined  to  try  it.  They  were 
standing  panting,  and  he  said  the/  had  done  splendidly 
and  were  well  trained  indeed. 

So  we  put  them  in  the  plough,  Waiheit,  with  all  the 
men,  young  and  old,  standing  near,  ready  to  help.  I  told 
Lathella  what  depth  he  was  to  keep,  and  he  got  hold  of 
the  plough  handles.  With  a  roar  the  bulls  made  a 
plunge  forward,  and  for  about  twenty  feet  the  plough 
went  right,  until  it  struck  what  must  have  been  a  great 
stone  or  a  root.  The  next  thing  I  saw  was  Lathella 
shooting  up  into  the  air,  high  above  our  heads!  The 
bulls  turned  to  the  river,  while  all  the  young  fry — the 
hope  of  Aneityum — flew  to  the  cocoanut  trees,  only 
Waiheit  and  two  or  three  others,  among  them  Nomopen 
and  Naube,  remaining.  The  bulls  went  up  to  their  necks 
in  the  water,  dragging  the  plough  after  them.  By  this 
time  both  handles  were  broken.  Lathella,  who  had  cer- 
tainly no  lack  of  pluck,  and  who  was  on  his  feet  again, 
yelled  to  his  men,  "  Spring  on  to  them,  spring  on  to 
them,  lads !  "  while  I  lay  on  the  ground,  helpless  with 
laughter.  When  the  animals  rushed  out  of  the  water 
again  with  nothing  but  the  head  of  the  plough  behind 
them,  I  was  afraid  they  would  kill  themselves  and  the 
men  too.  We  tried  to  head  them  off,  but  it  was  of  no 
use.  They  rushed,  fairly  mad,  first  towards  the  cow- 
byre  and  then  to  the  sea.  The  head  of  the  plough, 
trailing  after  them,  would  sometimes  bound  right  up  in 
the  air,  then  come  with  a  thud  to  the  ground  again,  and 
often  the  poor  beasts  were  struck  by  it.  They  several 
times  charged  Waiheit,  but  he  was  ready  and  belaboured 
them  with  his  nagaijai.  Lathella  had  to  give  in  ;  but 
the  younger  men  still  followed  the  "  bullock  team  "  right 


ii8  ERROMANGA 

down  to  the  shores.  As  we  passed  the  mission  premises, 
we  saw  the  other  cattle  standing  on  the  side  of  the 
hill,  their  tails  raised  in  astonishment !  The  natives, 
followed  closely  by  the  roaring  bulls,  made  for  the  shore, 
and  the  animals  rushed  after  Naube  right  into  the  water. 
That  seemed  to  quieten  them  at  last,  and  we  managed  to 
lasso  them  and  take  the  yoke  off.  I  advised  Lathella, 
if  he  cared  for  his  own  and  the  people's  lives,  to  sell  them. 
Not  he.  One  day  he  took  them  up  to  the  hill  Nightima 
and  yoked  them  to  the  cart.  I  told  him  he  would  kill 
himself,  but  he  was  determined  to  train  the  animals. 
He  got  into  the  cart  when  all  was  ready,  a  long  wooden 
spear  in  his  hand  to  guide  them  with,  and  a  number  of 
people  stood  on  either  side  of  the  road,  and  some  in  front 
to  keep  them  from  going  too  far.  At  the  first  snort 
and  plunge,  all  in  front  took  to  flight  and  the  bulls  raced 
down  the  hill.  When  they  were  half-way  down,  La- 
thella got  frightened  and  jumped  out.  About  fifty  yards 
ahead,  a  wheel  went  over  the  side  of  the  road,  one  of 
the  animals  went  right  off  the  edge  of  the  path,  and  it 
was  not  till  both  had  freed  themselves  and  the  cart  was 
smashed  to  matchwood  that  peace  reigned  again.  That 
adventure  put  an  end  to  Lathella's  ploughing  operations, 
and  right  glad  we  all  were  when  he  consented  to  sell  his 
stock. 

I  spoke  about  them  to  the  Captain  and  Paymaster  of 
the  first  ship-of-war  that  came,  and  received  over  twenty 
pounds  for  the  two  bulls  and  one  cow.  When  I  handed 
Lathella  the  money,  he  was  overjoyed  and  exclaimed : 
Nauhaurineig  ak  etwak,  Misi  Robertson !  '  thank  you, 
thank  you,  my  brother ! '  The  money  now  proved  far 
more  useful  to  him  than  his  cattle^  for  with  it  he  bought 
windows,  flooring-boards,  doors,  for  his  new  house,  and 
several  good  strong  boxes.  The  cattle  had  done  a  lot 
of  mischief  before  their  ploughing  escapades,  and  the 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  119 

people,  whose  food-plantations  they  had  often  invaded, 
were  considerably  relieved  in  mind  by  their  departure. 

There  is  another  amusing  bit  of  island-experience 
which  is  worth  recording.  There  was  an  old  horse  at  An- 
eityum  in  those  days.  He  looked  to  me  as  if  he  belonged 
to  the  era  of  the  ancients.  Some  of  the  younger  natives 
did  report  that  Captain  Towns  had  bought  him  from  Cap- 
tain Paddon,  and  Captain  Dawson  said  that  he  came  from 
Erromanga,  knew  the  price  of  sandal-wood  as  well  as 
any  trader,  and  could  always  tell  when  his  master  was 
driving  a  shrewd  bargain. 

However,  an  old  man  assured  me  that  that  was  a 
mistake.  "  You  have  been  taken  in  about  that  horse," 
he  said ;  "  he  was  landed  here  by  Captain  Cook,  and  has 
been  living  on  the  island  ever  since." 

"  You  don't  say  so  .-•  "  I  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  it  is  the  very  truth,  and  he  looks  as  fresh  as 
ever  he  did."  Some  time  afterwards  I  was  pained  to  hear 
that  this  account  was  also  a  mis-statement.  The  man 
who  put  me  right  scouted  the  bare  idea  of  "  Bob  "  having 
been  brought  by  the  Resolution,  and  said  he  had  been 
on  the  island  before  Cook  was  ever  heard  of.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  certain,  from  the  state  of  his  wind  apparatus, 
that  "  Bob  "  was  no  youngster.  The  method  of  catching 
him  was  at  once  novel  and  simple.  All  one  had  to  do 
was  to  chase  him  right  round  the  mission  grounds  till 
his  breath  gave  out,  and  then  it  was  easy  enough  to 
saddle  him.  He  would  never  go  further  than  five  miles 
at  a  time.  We  used  to  start  in  grand  style  on  our  way 
to  Anumej,  a  crowd  of  boys  following,  eager  to  race  us. 
The  first  time,  I  gave  them  a  hundred  yards  or  so  of  a 
start ;  the  next  time,  and  ever  afterwards,  "  Bob  "  had  the 
start.  "Now,"  one  of  the  boys  would  say,  "one,  two, 
three,  four,  five  ;  off !  "  for  they  don't  stop  at  "  three  " — 


I20  ERROMANGA 

four  and  five  are  generally  added.  Off  we  start,  the 
cavalry  charges  ahead,  and  with  conscious  pride  we 
thunder  along  the  hard  sandy  shore.  It  seems  as  if  we 
are  going  to  win,  when  "  Bob  "  stops  most  suddenly,  and 
I  have  to  dismount  till  his  breath  comes  back. 

One  night  I  was  returning  on  his  back  from  Anumej 
to  the  mission-station.  When  near  home  we  were  over- 
taken by  darkness,  and,  before  I  knew  where  I  was, 
"  Bob  "  was  floundering  in  quick-sands  and  mud.  Every 
struggle  made  matters  worse ;  so  slipping  myself  off  the 
saddle  I  left  him,  or  rather  he  left  me,  for  when  I  was 
still  scrambling  in  the  mud,  he  was  swimming  and  nearly 
across  the  river.  I  had  to  go  a  long  distance  up  the 
river  bank  before  I  could  cross,  literally  feeling  my  way. 
But  I  got  home  before  "  Bob  " — his  breath  had  given  out 
again.  Indeed,  I  believe  this  inability  to  keep  his  breath 
was  the  death  of  him  at  last.  Should  I  meet  a  native 
when  in  "  Bob's  "  company,  we  were  always  greeted  with 
Ek-aihuec-vai-caurau  !  '  love  to  you  two ! ' 

I  remember  being  very  much  surprised  one  day,  and 
amused,  soon  after  my  arrival  on  Aneityum,  to  hear  a 
native  speak  of  meeting  a  child — a  mere  infant — who, 
he  said,  was  going  to  his  cultivation-ground  to  plant 
taro."^  The  child  certainly  was  going — on  his  mother's 
back — ^but  she,  as  a  mere  item,  was  ignored.  There  is 
this  same  custom  on  Erromanga  and,  I  beheve,  on  all 
the  other  islands.  Some  one  will  come  to  us  with  a 
message :  "  Nerimpau  is  waiting  to  see  you ;  he  wants 
some  tea  and  sugar  ".  Now  Nerimpau  is  only  a  few 
months  old,  but  he  is  a  natememik,  '  a  young  chief,'  and, 
of  course,  of  ten  times  more  importance  than  his  mother. 
Not  that  she  would  be  unkindly  treated ;  the  food,  or  a 
part  of  it,  is  no  doubt  for  herself,  but  in  such  cases,  out 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  121 

of  etiquette,  she  must  mention,  not  her  own  name  but 
that  of  the  httle  "  lord  of  creation  "  whom  she  carries. 

Before  leaving  Aneityum  finally,  I  took  a  trip  in  the 
Dayspring  as  far  as  Pango,  on  Efate,  and  back.  We 
had  some  timber  for  Rev.  James  Gordon's  house  on 
board,  and  landed  it  on  Erromanga  at  Portinia  Bay, 
where  he  had  been  settled  earlier  in  the  year.  Mr. 
Gordon  came  to  meet  us  at  the  boat,  gave  us  a  cordial 
welcome,  and  took  us  back  to  his  house,  which  was 
already  built.  We  were  carried  across  the  river  by 
Erromangan  natives,  and,  on  reaching  his  house,  we  soon 
had  tea  prepared  for  us.  He  seemed  to  be  very  com- 
fortable at  his  new  station,  and  was  having  encourage- 
ment in  his  work.  We  climbed  a  ladder  to  his  own 
room,  which  was  above  his  sitting  and  dining-rooms, 
and  he  told  me  that  he  always  pulled  this  ladder  up  at 
night  before  he  slept  so  that  he  might  be  more  secure 
from  attack.  Nothing  could  have  exceeded  his  kindness 
to  me  that  day,  and  it  is  very  pleasing  to  me  to  remember 
and  record  it ;  for  it  was  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him. 
Though  he  disapproved  of  my  returning  to  Nova  Scotia 
for  preparation  and  study,  yet  as  soon  as  I  had  decided 
on  doing  so  he  gave  me  every  help  and  encouragement. 
Before  we  said  good-bye,  he  handed  me  a  sealed  letter, 
which  I  was  to  read  on  board.  In  it  his  kind  words  of 
advice  and  good  wishes  closed  with  Psalm  cxxi.  3-8  .-  — 

He  will  not  suffer  thy  foot  to  be  moved :  He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not 

slumber. 
Behold  !  He  that  keepeth  Israel  shall  neither  slumber  nor  sleep. 
The  Lord  is  thy  keeper ;  the  Lord  is  thy  shade  upon  thy  right  hand. 
The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day,  nor  the  moon  by  night. 
The  Lord  shall  preserve  thee  from  all  evil ;  He  shall  preserve  thy  soul. 
The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy  going  out  and  thy  coming  in  from  this  time 

forth,  and  even  for  ever  more. 

1  left  Aneityum  towards  the  end  of  December,  Mr. 


122  ERROMANGA 

and  Mrs.  Inglis  also  travelling  by  the  Dayspring  to  New- 
Zealand.  It  had  been  agreed  that,  instead  of  going  to 
Melbourne,  the  vessel  should^  that  year,  visit  New  Zea- 
land, in  order  that  her  supporters  there  might  see  her, 
and  that  through  Mr.  Inglis  they  might  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  hearing  of  the  work  of  the  mission  and  its 
needs.  We  arrived  in  Dunedin  on  the  first  days  of  Jan- 
uary, 1869,  and,  after  a  pleasant  six  weeks'  visit  to  the 
late  Rev.  George  Sutherland,  afterwards  Dr.  Sutherland, 
of  St.  George's  Presbyterian  Church,  Sydney,  I  took 
passage  for  London  in  the  barque  Agate,  Captain  Brown. 
The  Agate  was  laden  with  wool,  the  only  other  pas- 
senger being  Mr.  Smythe,  a  young  lawyer.  Fortunately 
for  me  the  captain  had  married  a  Nova-Scotian  girl,  and 
for  her  sake,  I  suppose,  showed  another  Nova-Scotian 
every  kindness.  I  arrived  in  Canada  in  May.  In  the 
train  going  from  Windsor  to  Halifax  I  noticed  the  Rev. 
G.  M.  Grant,  of  Halifax,  afterwards  Principal  Grant,  of 
Kingston.  I  introduced  myself  to  him,  and  he  gave  me  a 
most  hearty  welcome,  inviting  me  to  stay  with  him  at 
the  manse.  The  first  Sunday  after  arrival,  I  addressed 
his  Sunday  school,  and  took  service  the  same  evening 
at  the  Tower  Road,  about  three  miles  from  Halifax — 
my  first  experience  of  speaking  in  public.  At  the  next 
Synod  of  our  Church,  which  was  held  at  Chatham,  New 
Brunswick,  and  which  I  also  addressed,  I  was  instructed 
to  attend  the  Theological  Hall  and  study  medicine  at 
Dalhousie  College,  and  was  put  under  the  supervision 
of  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee.  During  the 
summer  my  time  was  occupied  in  visiting  the  congrega- 
tions of  Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick,  both  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  and  the  "  Kirk  "  ^  Churches,  and  in 
this  way,  while  giving  information  about  our  Mission, 
I  became  acquainted  with  the  ministers  and  people  of 
both  Churches.     After  the  letter  in  reference  to  me  had 


LIFE  ON  ANEITYUM  123 

been  sent  to  Dr.  Geddie,  but  before  I  arrived  in  Canada, 
the  Rev.  John  Goodwill,  of  Scotsburn,  Pictou,  had  offered 
to  go  to  the  New  Hebrides  as  the  representative  of  the 
"Kirk"  branch  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  so  that 
though  I  was  called  to  be  their  first  missionary,  Mr. 
Goodwill  was  actually  the  first.  At  the  same  Synod 
that  designated  him  to  his  field,  I  was  accepted,  and 
ordered  to  proceed  with  my  studies  and  to  follow  him 
to  the  Mission-field  as  soon  as  I  should  be  licensed  and 
ordained. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE. 

The  Rev.  James  D.  Gordon  was  not  settled  on  Erro- 
manga  till  August  of  1864.  A  voyage  was  first  taken 
in  the  Dayspring  through  the  Loyalty  Islands  and  then 
the  southern  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides  group.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ella  were  to  take  up  work  on  Uvea,  but  great 
was  their  disappointment  on  reaching  the  island  to  find 
that  the  French  authorities  would  not  allow  them  to  land. 
They  returned  to  Aneityum,  spending  the  months  of 
their  enforced  banishment  from  Uvea  at  Lolanapjis  near 
Aname.  It  was  a  great  trial  to  them  both.  Mr.  Ella 
could  not  be  idle,  and  during  his  stay  there  he  printed 
the  whole  of  Luke's  Gospel,  a  primer  and  a  catechism 
in  Erromangan,  and  also  a  hymn-book  in  Efatese.  In 
many  other  ways  he  rendered  great  help  to  the  mission- 
aries in  this  group.  As  we  were  near,  I  saw  a  good  deal 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ella  and  their  family,  and  I  often 
think  of  the  pleasant  evenings  spent  in  the  little  old 
lime-built  cottage  at  Lolanapjis  and  the  kind  welcome 
that  our  friends  in  it  were  ever  so  ready  to  give.  When 
Mr.  Ella  was  at  last  allowed  to  proceed  to  Uvea,  we 
rejoiced  for  his  sake,  but  the  loss  was  ours.  Mrs.  Ella 
had  first  to  return  to  Sydney  with  her  children,  who  were 
to  be  sent  from  there  to  school  in  England.  She  fainted 
while  sitting  on  the  Dayspring  s  deck  one  day  at  the 
very  thought  of  parting  with  them.  In  those  days,  the 
separation  was  often  for  many  years,  and  letters  could 

(124) 


WHAT  HAPPi<:NED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE   125 

only  be  received  very  rarely.  It  was  indeed  a  bitter 
trial,  but  it  was  borne  by  her,  and  is  still  borne  by  others, 
with  the  help  that  can  only  be  had  from  Him  whose 
solicitude  for  His  people  has  been  likened  to  the 
greatest  of  all  earthly  affections,  the  love  of  a  mother. 

It  was  on  the  i6th  of  July,  1864,  that  the  Dayspring, 
with  Mr.  Gordon  and  others  on  board,  reached  Dillon's 
Bay.  Mr.  Inglis  wrote  thus :  "  On  the  Monday  after- 
noon we  sailed  from  Efate  to  Erromanga.  We  encoun- 
tered very  heavy  winds,  in  consequence  of  which  we 
did  not  reach  Erromanga  till  Friday;  we  were  then 
becalmed,  and  did  not  come  to  anchor  till  Saturday. 
We  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  the  Mission  in  a  very 
encouraging  condition.  Our  Aneityum  teacher,  Nehiei- 
man,  and  his  wife  were  both  well  and  in  excellent  spirits. 
He  had  had  no  rest  in  going  from  place  to  place  to  assist 
the  natives  in  building  schoolhouses.  He  has  been 
there  little  more  than  a  year,  and  four  schoolhouses  have 
been  built  during  that  time.  A  number  of  elementary 
books,  printed  there  by  Mr.  Gordon,  but  after  his  death 
brought  to  Aneityum,  had  been  lately  sent  to  them  and 
received  with  much  joy. 

"  On  Sabbath  we  went  ashore  to  the  native  service. 
The  place  of  worship  was  full,  and  a  number  sat  outside  ; 
about  150  were  present.  One  of  the  natives  sang  and 
prayed.  Mr.  Gordon,  who  has  been  studying  the  lan- 
guage very  diligently,  read  a  chapter  of  his  brother's 
translation  of  Luke.  I  addressed  them  in  the  Aneit- 
yumese  language,  Nehieiman  interpreting,  after  which 
he  prayed.  Mr.  Gordon  then  addressed  them  shortly  in 
their  own  tongue,  and  I  pronounced  the  benediction  in 
English.     After  this  we  had  the  usual  services  on  board. 

"  On  Monday  we  went  ashore  again  to  visit  the  two 
spots  where  the  Rev.  George  N.  Gordon  and  Mrs. 
Gordon  were  killed.     We  passed  their  grave,  which  we 


126  ERROMANGA 

had  visited  on  Saturday.  The  grave  is  kept  very  neatly 
fenced  around  by  the  Christian  natives.  We  ascended 
the  mountain  and  passed  the  place  where  Mr.  Gordon 
was  working  when  the  native  came  to  him  and  got  him 
to  accompany  him  on  the  way  to  his  own  house,  which 
stood  about  half  a  mile  higher  up  on  the  edge  of  the 
table-land.  The  site  of  the  house  is  estimated  to  be 
about  i,ooo  ft.  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  .  .  .  The  house 
is  all  removed,  and  the  foundation  is  covered  with  bushes 
and  grass.  The  natives  have  planted  a  bush  on  the  spot 
where  Mrs.  Gordon  was  killed.  Captain  Eraser  took 
pictures  of  both  these  places,  and  also  of  some  other 
objects  of  interest  connected  with  the  history  of  the 
Mission.  We  saw  some  of  the  spots,  still  of  a  reddish- 
brown  colour,  where  Mr.  Gordon's  blood  had  dyed  the 
rocks.  The  rains  and  the  torrents  of  three  years  have 
not  yet  washed  it  out.  Nothing,  perhaps,  is  so  difficult 
to  wash  out  as  blood.  .  .  . 

"  From  the  place  where  Mr.  Gordon's  house  stood 
there  is  a  splendid  view.  A  beautiful  valley  opens  up 
to  the  eastward,  which  fs  seen  to  great  advantage  from 
this  point ;  the  river  winds  gently  along  at  the  bottom ; 
here,  reflecting  the  sunbeams  from  its  glassy  pools ; 
there,  its  silvery  streams  gliding  softly  over  polished 
pebbles ;  native  cottages  are  seen  peeping  out  amid  the 
dense,  deep  green  foliage  that  covers  the  narrow  plains, 
and  reaches  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  margin  of  the 
table-land,  which  again  spreads  onwards  to  a  native 
grass-flat,  and  is  intersected  with  ravines  running  in 
every  direction. 

"  On  returning  to  the  shore,  we  found  that  the  Chris- 
tian natives  had  brought  a  small  present  of  food  for  the 
ship.  We  had  another  meeting  with  them  in  the  school- 
house.  They  were  greatly  pleased  to  think  that  Mr. 
Gordon  was  likely  to  come  and  live  with  them;    but 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  127 

they  were  distinct  in  saying  that  he  must  not  go  up 
the  mountain  where  his  brother  had  Hved.  A  number 
of  the  heathen  were  also  assembled ;  among  others  was 
the  leader  of  the  party  who  murdered  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon.  He  is  an  impudent,  bad-looking  fellow  ;  if  he 
had  had  any  feeling  of  shame  at  all  he  would  have  kept 
away.  Mr.  Ella,  however,  took  him  in  hand,  and 
through  Mana,  who  understands  Samoan,  gave  him  a 
very  solemn  talking-to  on  the  sinfulness  of  his  conduct, 
such  as  he  had  never  heard  since  his  hands  were  dyed 
with  martyrs'  blood.  Mana,  we  were  very  sorry  to  see, 
was  in  very  poor  health.  We  gave  instructions  for  the 
building  of  a  house  for  a  missionary  on  the  site  of  Mr. 
Gordon's  first  house.  We  felt  satisfied  that,  at  present, 
no  danger  is  to  be  apprehended  in  settling  a  missionary. 
...  I  feel  certain  that  the  prospects  of  the  Mission  were 
never  so  encouraging  as  at  present.  Others  fear  no 
danger  ;  why  should  missionaries  ?  Mr.  Henry,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  sandal-wood  establishment  at  Dillon's  Bay, 
had  left  his  wife,  with  six  children,  the  youngest  only 
three  months  old,  and  gone  to  Sydney  with  the  pros- 
pect of  being  absent  for  three  or  four  months.  Mrs. 
Henry  evinced  no  anxiety  about  her  situation,  al- 
though she  had  only  two  white  men  living  on  the 
establishment.  Moreover,  I  always  considered  Erro- 
manga  as  a  more  healthy  island  than  Aneityum.  Mr. 
Henry  and  his  family  lived  several  years  on  Aneityum. 
I  found,  however,  that  both  Mrs.  Henry  and  the  children 
looked  much  more  healthy  and  robust  than  ever  I  had 
seen  them  on  Aneityum.  Mrs.  Henry  was  very 
kind  to  all  on  board,  and  gave  a  donation  of  two  pounds 
to  the  funds  of  the  ship.  The  precious  seed  that  has 
been  sown  in  tears  and  watered  with  blood  is  beginning 
to  spring  up;    the  prayers  of  God's  people  are  being 


128  ERROMANGA 

heard ;  and,  doubtless,  the  harvest  will  be  great  and 
the  final  result  glorious." 

In  a  postscript  to  this  letter,  dated  nth  August,  Mr. 
Inglis  said :  "  I  may  just  add  that  on  Wednesday, 
the  3rd  inst.,  the  Dayspring  sailed  from  Aneityum, 
visited  Erromanga,  Efate  and  Tanna,  and  returned  to 
this  island  on  the  9th,  having  had  remarkably  favourable 
winds  both  going  and  returning.  Mr.  Gordon  received  a 
most  cordial  welcome  from  the  Christian  natives  of 
Erromanga." 

Mr.  Copeland,  who  was  present  at  Mr.  Gordon's  settle- 
ment, wrote  that  "  he  soon  had  his  hands  full  of  work  ". 
There  was  his  house  to  be  built ;  when  it  was  completed, 
one  end  was  used  for  a  school  and  the  other  for  his 
own  dwelling-house.  He  had  previously  spent  so  much 
time  in  a  careful  study  of  the  language  that  "  from  the 
very  day  of  his  settlement  he  was  able  to  do  something 
at  teaching,  and  preaching,  and  superintending  the 
work  ".  He  had  one  Aneityumese  teacher  to  help  him, 
and  from  the  first  he  conducted  an  afternoon  school 
for  young  men  who  had  already  been  under  training. 
Mr.  Copeland,  in  April,  1865,  wrote:  "Mr.  Gordon 
generally  conducts  the  religious  services  on  Sabbaths 
at  Dillon's  Bay,  where  between  one  hundred  and  two 
hundred  attend.  Natives  are  appointed  to  the  out- 
stations,  three  or  four  in  number.  Over  two  hundred 
are  professedly  Christian  on  Erromanga,  and  a  few  have 
been  baptised.  The  work  here  has  its  dark  and  its 
bright  aspects.  The  heathen  natives  are  not  only  cruel, 
but  treacherous.  Still  we  must  rejoice  to  see  the  field 
again  occupied  by  a  missionary  amid  circumstances,  on 
the  whole,  encouraging.  .  .  .  Let  us  hope  that  the  last 
martyrs  of  Erromanga  have  fallen,  and  that  the  greatest 
obstacles  have  already  been  overcome." 

In  1867,  the  Rev.  James  Macnair  and  Mrs.  Macnair, 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  129 

from    Scotland,    but    supported    by    the    Nova-Scotian 
Church,  joined  Mr.  Gordon  on  Erromanga.     Not  long 
after  their  arrival,  Mr.   Gordon  gave  up  his  station  at 
Dillon's  Bay  to  Mr.  Macnair,  and  opened  up  a  new  one 
on  the  north-east  of  the  island  at  Potnuma  or  Portinia 
Bay.     It  v^^as  while  he  was  still  alone  at  Dillon's  Bay 
that  I  paid  my  first  visit  to  Erromanga,  as  narrated  in 
the  end  of  last  chapter.     We  anchored  in  the  bay  about 
ten  o'clock  on  a  Sunday  morning,  and  not  long  after- 
wards Mr.  Gordon  came  off  in  his  whale-boat.     Captain 
Eraser    persuaded    him    to    stay    on    board    to    dinner. 
Afterwards  I  went  on  shore  with  Mr.  Gordon,  and  to 
the  afternoon  service.     The  church  was  a  little  distance 
up  the  valley,  and  that  day  it  was  well  filled.     I  can 
remember   the   very    tune   — "  Coronation  " — that    they 
sang  to  one  of  the  hymns.     My  first  impression  of  both 
place  and  people  was  disappointing.     I  thought  to  my- 
self, Dillon's  Bay  is  certainly  very  pretty,  but  very,  very 
gloomy,  and  the  people  are  as  black,  as  ugly  and  as  dirty 
as  they  can  be.     Some  of  them  were  naked  and  painted, 
and  nearly  all   carried  bow  and  arrows.      I  stayed  on 
shore  that  night  with  Mr.  Gordon.     He  sat  up  writing 
the  whole  night,  and,  when  I  woke  in  the  morning  after 
a  good  sleep,  I  found  my  host  busy  making  porridge 
for  our  breakfast.     As  a  rule,  he  had  fairly  good  native 
helpers,  though  they  could  not  be  depended  on  for  much 
help ;   at  that  time  he  seemed  to  have  almost  no  help. 
He   managed  wonderfully  well,   but   must   have   often 
found  it  hard,  as  he  did  on  this  morning,  when  he  con- 
fessed to  me  that  "  there  is  nothing  like  petticoats  in  a 
house  to  make  things  comfortable  ". 

Our  breakfast  being  over,  I  suggested  visiting  Mount 
Gordon.  He  objected,  thinking  it  hardly  safe,  but 
seeing  I  was  determined  to  go,  sent  Netai,  a  native, 
with  me.     An  Aneityumese  teacher  followed  us ;    so  I 


I30  ERROMANGA 

had  a  good  escort.  Returning  from  the  deeply  interest- 
ing spot,  I  found  poor  Gordon  down  with  fever.  It 
seemed  hard  to  leave  him  like  that,  but  the  Daysfring 
was  to  sail  in  the  evening.  However,  he  struggled  up 
to  say  good-bye  to  us,  and  was  wonderfully  cheerful. 
He  was  a  brave  man^  and  the  more  I  knew  of  him  the 
more  I  loved  him. 

Though  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Macnair  arrived  at  Aneityum 
in  August,  1866,  and  were  appointed  to  Erromanga  soon 
afterwards,  it  was  some  time  before  they  could  proceed 
to  their  future  home.  The  John  Willianis  having  to 
return  to  Sydney,  disabled,  it  was  arranged  that  the 
Daysfring  should  accompany  her  in  case  of  danger 
(see  chap.  vi.).  So  that  the  Macnairs  and  other  mission- 
aries were  obliged  to  wait  at  Aneityum  for  her  return. 
Before  the  Daysfring  appeared,  so  eager  were  they  to 
begin  work,  that  they  took  passage  in  a  small  trading 
vessel,  and  thus  reached  Erromanga. 

Their  first  year  on  the  island  was  a  trying  one ;  both 
of  them  suffered  severely  from  fever  and  ague,  and  so 
the  next  rainy  season  was  spent  on  Aneityum.  The 
rest  there  and  change  improved  their  health,  and  they 
left  on  their  return  to  Erromanga  on  the  ist  of  June, 
1867.  It  was  in  this  year  that  a  fearful  epidemic,  re- 
sembling diphtheria,  broke  out  on  Erromanga  and  other 
islands,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Macnair  and  Mr.  Gordon 
had  much  to  try  their  faith  in  those  dark  days.  The 
Synod  was  to  meet  at  Aneityum  in  August,  but  Mr. 
Macnair  thought  that,  in  consequence  of  the  trouble  on 
the  island,  he  and  his  wife  should  remain  on  Erromanga, 
while  Mr.  Gordon  would  attend  the  meeting.  During 
his  absence  of  four  weeks  the  disease  raged  furiously, 
and  Mr.  Macnair  wrote  of  Dillon's  Bay,  "This  has 
been  literally  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death".  "The 
sacred  men,"  ^  he  said,  "  have  no  scruples  in  asserting,  and 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MV  ABSENCE   131 

the  people  seem  to  have  as  httle  in  beheving,  and  acting 
on  the  common  behef,  that  Christianity  is  very  much 
the  cause  of  their  troubles  and  calamities."  By  the 
time  that  the  Dayspring  returned,  the  disease  had  died 
down  somewhat,  but  later  on,  spread  to  every  corner  of 
the  island,  and  all  through  that  dreary  time  the  Mac- 
nairs  and  Gordon  did  their  utmost  to  fight  against  it. 
Many  died  before  it  at  last  exhausted  itself. 

In  November  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Macnair  wrote : 
"  The  path  of  duty  seems  now  very  plain.  Mr.  Gordon 
has  resolved  to  go  to  Sydney  this  rainy  season,  and  I 
have  resolved  to  remain  here.  .  .  .  The  Dayspring  made 
her  appearance  on  the  15th,  and  in  a  few  hours  we  were 
off  in  order  to  visit  Cook's  Bay.  Next  morning  we  came 
to  anchor,  probably  near  the  very  spot  where  Captain 
Cook  anchored  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago.  .  .  .  We  were 
soon  ashore  at  a  village  opposite  the  anchorage  ;  and 
as  we  were  able  to  speak  to  the  people  they  very  soon 
became  friends.  A  messenger  was  despatched  to  Cook's 
Bay,  which  is  on  the  other  side  of  Traitor's  Head,  to 
see  how  matters  stood  there,  and  to  bring  a  chief  or 
two  to  the  vessel  in  order  to  accompany  me  to  their 
place  on  Monday.  We  then  made  off  to  leeward  five 
miles  or  so,  in  order  to  see  the  chief  of  the  district. 
We  landed  at  a  place  called  Unova,  near  Potnuma  Bay." 
Here  Mr.  Macnair  met  Lifu,  the  high  chief  of  the  dis- 
trict, who,  he  said,  "  being  a  high  ^  chief,  would  at  first 
speak  to  me  only  through  a  spokesman  ".  The  letter 
goes  on  thus  :  "  We  came  to  his  place  beside  a  little  river 
and  a  fine  boat  harbour.  Mrs.  Macnair  wished  to  see 
his  lady,  but  we  were  told  he  had  many;  however,  he 
kindly  consented  to  introduce  us  to  his  female  friends, 
but  when  he  went  into  the  house,  behold !  they  were  off 
to  the  plantation  or  somewhere  out  of  sight.  He  then, 
of  his  own  accord,  wished  us  to  remain  with  him,  and 


132  ERROMANGA 

said  he  would  protect  us.  I  thanked  him,  and  said,  if  he 
wished,  he  could  come  with  us  to  see  the  Dayspring,  and 
that  I  would  return  with  him  on  the  morrow,  the  Sab- 
bath, and  have  reading  and  prayer  with  his  people.  He 
consented  at  once  ;  leaving  his  bow  and  arrows  in  the 
house,  and  taking  his  seat  beside  me  in  the  boat  along 
with  his  speaker,  we  were  soon  off.  .  .  .  He  admired  the 
Dayspring  exceedingly,  and  was  quite  delighted  with  the 
cabin.  After  landing  him  3,t  the  village  opposite  the 
Dayspring,  we  took  the  deputation  from  Cook's  Bay  on 
board,  consisting  of  two  petty  chiefs,  the  teacher,  and 
three  or  four  others.  The  report  as  to  the  present  state 
of  Cook's  Bay  is  not  favourable.  The  people  are  at 
war,  and  it  is  very  hard  to  tell  when  it  may  cease ;  a 
petty  chief  was  killed  the  night  before  we  reached  here. 
They  did  not  consider  it  very  safe  for  me  to  go  over ; 
at  least,  they  would  not  venture  with  me  themselves 
by  the  short  way ;  and  as  to  the  long  roundabout,  which 
they  came  by  and  intended  to  return  by,  it  was,  they 
affirmed,  quite  impossible  for  me  to  accomplish  it  with 
my  shoes  on.  They  thought  it  would  be  as  well  for  me 
to  stay  with  our  friend  Lifu,  and  I  could  visit  them 
occasionally  at  Cook's  Bay. 

"  The  wind  blowing  strong  on  the  Sabbath,  we  thought 
it  would  be  as  well  to  have  a  meeting  with  the  people 
in  the  village  opposite.  We  landed  accordingly,  and 
had  a  nice  meeting  with  them  among  the  rocks.  .  .  . 
Early  on  Monday  morning,  we  landed  the  Cook's  Bay 
men,  and  took  on  board  Lifu  and  his  '  speaker '.  We 
then  set  off  for  Unova  with  a  fine  breeze  of  fair  wind. 
Before  leaving  the  Dayspring,  the  captain  made  him  a 
present  of  a  large  axe  and  gave  a  large  butcher's  knife 
to  the  '  speaker '.  In  the  boat  we  talked  about  many 
things ;  he  declared  his  land  was  much  better  than  that 
at  Dillon's  Bay,  that  the  river  at  Potnuma  was  full  of 


a 

o 

O    4 

Q    "2 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  133 

large  fish,  and  that  /  was  a  brother  of  his,  to  boot.  His 
face,  black  by  nature,  was  more  so  by  art,  so  that  I 
need  not  be  too  proud  of  the  new  relationship.  Yet  it 
is  possible  we  may  turn  it  to  some  account.  On  landing 
at  Unova  we  were  met  by  a  crowd  of  blacks  ;  we  went 
to  see  the  chief's  other  place,  himself  leading  the  way. 
It  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  first,  and  beside 
another  small  river.  My  object  being  to  fix  on  a  site 
for  a  station,  Mr.  Dawes,  the  mate,  and  myself  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  Un5va,  the  landing  place,  would  be 
a  more  suitable  spot.  We  returned  after  seeing  the 
chief's  food  and  tobacco  plantation.  He  gave  my  .naii. 
Yomot,^  as  many  yams  as  he  could  take  for  himself, 
and  carried  a  great  big  one  himself  for  me.  On  arriving 
at  Unova  we  went  over  a  piece  of  ground  suitable  for  a 
station.  I  then  sat  on  a  stone,  surrounded  by  a  crowd 
of  naked,  painted  savages,  and  wrote  the  following 
famous  document  in  Erromangan,  which,  for  your 
benefit,  I  shall  translate  into  the  Queen's  English:  — 

" '  I,  Lifu  Nokilian,  Chief,  sell  the  piece  of  ground 
which  we  have  just  gone  over  here  at  Unova,  co 
Jakobo  Macnair,  Misi,  for  five  hatchets,  eleven 
butcher's  knives,  three  pocket-knives,  and  a  lot  of 
beads. 

X.       His  mark. 
Witnesses — Richard  Dawes,  mate. 
Unimpau  Yomot. 
At  Un5va,  Erromanga,  \%th  Nov.,  1867.' 

"  Lifu  asked  when  we  should  come.  I  said  six  months 
hence,  which  he  considered  long.  In  a  few  minutes  we 
were  off,  the  Chief  following  us  into  the  water,  waving 
his  hands." 

Mr.  Macnair  was  far  from  being  a  strong  man  ;    he 


134  ERROMANGA 

suffered  often  from  various  ailments  during  his  short 
mission  life  ;  yet,  whenever  able,  he  was  eager  and  ready 
to  be  at  work,  and,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing 
letter,  even  in  the  remoter  districts  of  this  large  island. 
Potnuma,  the  district  mentioned  in  the  letter,  was  the 
place  where  Mr.  Gordon  settled  on  leaving  Dillon's  Bay, 
and  where  he  met  his  death.  Though  their  first  year 
had  been  a  peculiarly  trying  one  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
nair,  the  two  succeeding  ones  were  brighter.  Many  of 
the  surrounding  heathen  became  friendly,  and  from 
amongst  the  professing  Christians  who  were  under 
training,  several  became  members  of  the  Church.  At 
the  beginning  of  1870,  Mr.  Macnair  became  ill,  though 
at  first  the  trouble  did  not  seem  serious.  He  was  able 
to  attend  the  annual  meeting  of  Synod  in  June,  and  there 
it  was  arranged  that  he  should  go  in  the  D'ayspring  in 
July  to  Auckland  and  Rarotonga,  in  the  hope  that  the 
long  sea-voyage  would  do  him  good. 

He  had  not  been  home  on  Erromanga  more  than  a 
fortnight  when  the  end  came,  early  on  a  Saturday  morn- 
ing, the  15th  of  July,  1870.  Mr.  Inglis  wrote  that  "a 
severe  paroxysm  "  had  come  on  the  afternoon  before. 
"  He  went  in  and  lay  down  on  the  sofa.  Mrs.  Macnair 
asked  him  if  he  had  much  pain.  He  said  '  No,'  but 
added  the  trouble  was  his  heart  and  a  difficulty  in  breath- 
ing. The  paroxysm  passed  off,  and  he  was  easier  during 
the  night ;  but  about  daybreak  another  paroxysm  came 
on.  He  began  to  retch,  and,  while  Mrs.  Macnair  was 
holding  him,  she  felt  his  head  become  heavy  and  a  cold 
clamminess  on  his  hands.  She  immediately  sent  for 
Mr.  Smith,  a  white  man,  who  had  been  there  a  few 
weeks  commencing  a  whaling  station,  and  who  had 
formerly  been  second  officer  in  the  Dayspring.  He 
came  in  an  instant,  but  all  was  over.  The  Dayspring, 
with  four  of  the  missionaries  on  board,  had  left  Erro- 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  135 

manga  the  week  before,  no  one  suspecting  that  this 
good  man's  race  was  so  nearly  run."  Mr.  Inghs  added : 
"  Though  his  death  was  sudden  and  unexpected,  yet  he 
was  found  prepared ;  he  knew  in  whom  he  had  be- 
lieved ". 

How  sad  for  Mrs.  Macnair  in  her  sore  trouble  to  be 
so  far  from  friends,  with  just  her  infant  daughter!  Mr. 
Smith  went  to  Tanna  and  Aniwa  a  few  days  after,  and 
brought  to  Dillon's  Bay  Mr.  Baton  and  Mr.  Neilson, 
who  helped  Mrs.  Macnair  in  making  her  arrangements 
for  leaving.  "  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Macnair  were,"  said  Mr. 
Inglis,  ''particularly  well  liked"  by  their  own  Erro- 
mangans  and  by  the  natives  of  Aneityum,  and  his  death 
was  "  deeply  lamented "  by  them  all.  His  years  on 
Erromanga,  though  few,  were  spent  in  earnest  and  heart 
whole  consecration  to  his  Master.  The  others  who  have 
followed  them  in  the  work  here  have  had  cause  for  deep 
gratitude  when  we  have  seen  the  results  of  the  teachings, 
example  and  prayers  of  the  noble  Gordons  and  Mac- 
nairs  during  their  life  on  "  dark  Erromanga  ". 

Mrs.  Macnair  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Turner,^  of  Samoa.  After  a  long  and  worthy  mission 
career  on  Samoa,  she  and  her  husband  returned  to  Eng- 
land. Dr.  Turner's  death  occurred  in  May,  1891.  Mrs. 
Turner's  present  home  is  in  Birkenhead.  Her  daughter, 
born  on  Erromanga,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Kerr  Cross,  of  the 
Livingstonia  Mission  in  Central  Africa. 

Mr.  Gordon  had  for  a  long  time  been  desirous  of 
starting  a  mission  on  Santo.  He  had  had  two  natives 
of  that  island  with  him  for  some  time,  and,  with  their 
help,  had  mastered  one  of  the  dialects  of  that  large 
island.  He  had  great  aptitude  for  the  learning  of  lan- 
guages ;  his  knowledge  of  Erromangan  was  perfect,  and 
his  translations  almost  without  a  mistake.     He  not  only 


136  ERROMANGA 

understood  the  enyau  dialect,  which  is  known  all  over  the 
island,  but  also  two  others — the  sorting  and  the  ura^ 
which  are  only  understood  by  a  few.  All  our  trans- 
lations are  in  the  oiymi  language  ;  the  others  I  have 
never  even  attempted  to  learn ;  for  it  is  better  to  try  to 
establish  only  one  language  on  each  island,  if  we  can. 
In  1869,  he  was  able  to  carry  out  his  wish  with  regard 
to  Santo,  and  pitched  his  tent  near  the  spot  now  occupied 
by  the  Rev.  J.  Noble  Mackenzie's  house.  But  Erro- 
manga  was  to  be  his  head  station ;  and,  after  a  few 
months,  he  returned  again  to  Portinia  Bay.  That  was 
his  last  visit  to  Santo. 

No  one  can  speak  of  Mr.  Gordon's  work  as  he  could 
himself.  I  have  before  me  two  old  and  faded  letters 
written  by  the  martyr's  hand,  which  are  kindly  lent  to 
me  by  a  friend  of  his  and  of  our  Mission,  Mrs.  Wark, 
of  Bathurst,  New  South  Wales.  The  letters  give  an 
insight  into  much  of  his  daily  work,  and  describe  in 
detail  the  characters  of  a  few  of  his  helpers,  principally 
young  people  and  children ;  for  they  are  written  to  the 
pupils  of  Miss  Eraser,  now  Mrs.  Wark,  and  it  is  with  her 
permission  1  now  publish  them:  — 

*'  Havannah  Harbour, 
"  Efate,  gth  November,  1869. 

«  My  Dear  Young  Friends, 

"  This  is  the  seventh  day  since  we  dropped 
anchor  here,  and  as  I  have,  for  once,  more  leisure  than 
I  desire,  I  sit  down  to  write  you  a  loig  letter.  You 
remember  that  the  first  and  last  place  in  which  I  saw  you 
was  in  the  schoolroom,  and  it  is  to  you  there  I  now 
ask  you  to  let  me  write :  I  mean  to  you  all  collectively 
and  not  individually.  By  doing  the  former  I  can  write 
one  long  letter,  and  if  I  do  the  latter  I  can  only  write 
several  short  ones.     I  hope  you  may  not  be  offended 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  137 

with  me  for  doing  so,  for  I  would  not  displease  you  for 
anything. 

"  I  think  I  promised  when  I  should  write  you  again 
to  tell  you  about  some  of  the  young  people  on  Erro- 
manga,  and  to  mention  some  of  their  good  qualities. 
This  little  epistle,  then,  will  be  something  like  tiny 
biographies.  .  .  .  But  I  may  say,  first,  that  there  are 
very  few  children  on  Erromanga  compared  with  the 
number  on  some  other  islands ;  and  wherever  mission- 
aries go  they  like  to  see  many  children.  We  build  our 
hopes  upon  the  young  people.  There  being  very  few 
little  boys  and  girls  on  the  island,  their  parents  are 
fond  of  them  and  indulge  them  in  every  respect.  They 
seldom  correct  them,  and,  when  they  do,  it  is  in  a  wrong 
way  and  not  from  right  motives.  In  this  way,  being 
allowed  to  do  as  they  like,  they  grow  up  wayward, 
naughty  and  disobedient,  and,  never  having  been  taught 
to  exercise  any  control  over  themselves,  grow  up  to  be 
men  and  women  who  are  passionate,  revengeful  and 
violent ;  and,  being  under  the  power  of  the  devil,  they 
fight  and  kill  each  other.  I  have  often  seen  quite  young 
children  behaving  very  badly  towards  their  mothers. 
Generally  they  have  more  dread  of  the  fathers.  But 
it  is  very  provoking  to  see  young  boys  and  girls,  when 
they  get  into  a  pet,  as  they  often  do,  throw  themselves 
down  on  the  ground,  cry  and  screech,  and  kick  the 
ground,  and  make  a  great  dust  and  ado,  and  their 
mother  looking  on  instead  of  chastising  them. 

"  There  was  a  little  boy  that  grew  up  on  the  Mission 
premises.  He  was  the  only  child  of  his  parents,  and 
they  used  to  indulge  him  in  every  way,  till  at  last  he 
paid  no  heed  to  his  mother.  I  was  observing  her  one 
day  trying  to  persuade  him  to  go  home  with  her.  She 
stood  calling  to  him  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  One  day 
T  heard  him  screeching  lustily  just  for  the  fun  of  it ;  and 


138  ERROMANGA 

I  went  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  I  found  him  lying 
on  his  face  on  the  floor  of  my  cook-house,  and  with 
nothing  the  matter  with  him.  I  approached  him  unob- 
served, saying  to  myself,  '  Now,  my  little  lad,  I'll  give 
you  something  worth  crying  about,'  and  with  a  flat  stick 
I  gave  him  a  few  hard  stripes,  and  you  would  have 
thought  he  would  have  brought  the  house  down  on  our 
heads.  He  was  never  before  so  much  taken  with  sur- 
prise ;  but  after  a  while  became  quiet,  and  was  as  docile 
as  a  lamb.  He  was  for  weeks  afterwards  a  better 
boy,  though  he  was  shy  of  me,  and  used,  especially  in 
church,  to  give  me  some  significant  looks,  as  much  as 
to  say,  '  You  hard  white-man,  I  have  hard  work  in  per- 
suading myself  that  you  did  that  for  my  good,  though 
I'm  none  the  worse  for  it '.  I  very  rarely  corrected  a 
boy,  for  were  I  to  do  so,  he  would  be  off  and  leave  me ; 
but  sometimes  I  could  not  refrain  from  doing  so,  and 
used  to  tell  their  parents  that  it  was  very  wrong  to  allow 
their  children  to  do  such  things.  .  .  . 

"  When  I  settled  at  Portinia  Bay,  I  sent  a  man  to  ask 
permission  of  an  inland  and  influential  chief  to  do  so. 
The  chief's  name  was  Potnilo,  and  he  had  been  to 
Sydney  once.  Not  wishing  to  see  my  messenger,  he  hid 
himself,  and  Netai  came  back  disappointed.  Potnilo's 
brother,  who  had  been  chief  before  him,  had  a  son,  a 
boy  about  ten  years  old,  living  with  his  uncle,  whom, 
according  to  custom,  he  called  'father'.^  That  httle 
boy's  name  was  Novolu,  and  he  followed  Netai,  my 
messenger,  some  distance  on  his  way  back,  and  told  him 
he  was  much  displeased  with  his  father's  conduct.  He 
wished  to  follow  Netai  to  my  tent,  but  Netai  forbade 
him,  saying :  '  Go  home ;  if  you  follow  me,  your  father 
will  hate  me,  and  what  is  bad  will  thus  become  worse '. 
So  he  returned,  but  sent  word  to  me  to  remain,  and  not 
to  go  to  Santo.     A  day  or  two  afterwards,   I  had  an 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  139 

interview  with  Potnilo,  at  a  place  of  meeting  appointed 
by  him,  which  was  some  distance  from  my  tent.  Several 
of  his  tribe  accompanied  him,  and  Novolu  among  the 
rest,  my  unseen,  unknown  young  friend  at  court.  He 
was  a  nice-looking,  timid  boy.  Our  business  over,  they 
all  went  their  way,  and  we  ours.  Some  months  after- 
wards Potnilo  paid  me  a  visit ;  Novolu  and  a  younger 
brother  were  with  him.  He  consented  to  let  the  elder 
one  remain  with  me,  which  the  boy  was  quite  willing 
to  do. 

"  Not  long  afterwards,  his  father  repented  of  what  he 
had  done;  for  he  suspected  that  the  boy  was  lost  to 
heathenism,  and,  being  of  a  patriarchal  family,  none  of 
whom  had  embraced  the  Gospel,  he  felt  that  he  had 
committed  a  great  mistake.  From  time  to  time  attempts 
were  made  to  remove  him,  but  in  vain.  One  time  in 
particular  his  father  appointed  a  day — a  feast  day — 
on  which,  without  fail,  the  boy  must  make  his  appear- 
ance. Novolu  came  to  consult  me  about  it.  He  said 
he  would  be  away  three  days.  I  asked  him  what  he 
would  do  if  they  should  tie  him  up  and  speak  evil  of 
the  Word  of  God  to  persuade  him  from  taking  up  with 
it,  and  he  told  me  that  as  regarded  these  things  he  was 
fully  minded  to  return.  One  day  after,  I  told  Netai  of 
our  conversation,  and  said  he  was  gone  for  three  days. 
•  Three  days  ! '  he  exclaimed  ;  '  you'll  not  see  him  again.' 

"  '  Oh,  yes,'  said  I ;  '  I  think  he  will  come  back' 

" '  Well,  I  don't  think  so,'  said  he. 

"  One  morning,  at  daylight,  Netai  heard  some  one 
outside  our  house,  and  said,  '  Who  is  there  ? ' — '  I.'  '  Is 
that  you,  Novolu  .? ' — '  Yes.'  '  Where  have  you  come 
from .? ' — *  I  have  run  away  ;  they  were  speaking  evil  of 
Christianity,  and  had  me  a  prisoner ;  but  I  watched 
my  chance  and  ran.'  His  mother,^  his  uncle's  wife,  was 
privy  to  it,  and  he  left  while  she  was  preparing  some 


I40  ERROMANGA 

food  for  him ;  for  he  knew  that  if  he  waited  till  daybreak 
they  would  detain  him  forcibly.  .  .  .  His  mother  I  have 
not  yet  seen,  but  I  have  often  been  secretly  aided  and 
warned  of  impending  danger  by  women.  On  opening 
the  door  that  morning,  the  first  one  I  saw  was  Novolu. 
Some  time  afterward  I  made  him  my  cook,  from  necessity 
rather  than  choice.  One  day  he  broke  a  wash-hand 
basin  ;  I  heard  the  natives  calling  and  laughing  at  him 
about  it  outside,  and  knew  that  something  had  occurred. 
One  boy  in  ten  only  would  have  done,  under  the  circum- 
stances, what  Novolu  did :  he  came  and  told  me  what 
had  happened.  He  soon  began  to  learn  to  read  and 
then  to  pray,  and  he  gives  promise  of  being  a  good 
and  useful  man,  and  that  he  may  become  such  you  will 
pray,  I  am  sure  ;  will  you  not .''  He  has  been  with  me 
a  year  now,  and  is  growing  very  fast.  He  was  the  only 
one  I  took  with  me  to  Santo,  five  months  ago.  God 
has  taken  good  care  of  us  ever  since,  for  which  I  am  very 
thankful.  Had  anything  happened  to  him,  had  I  now 
been  going  back  without  him,  it  would  injure  me  very 
much ;  for,  as  I  left  Erromanga  as  the  Israelites  left 
Egypt,  that  is,  in  haste,  I  had  not  time  to  ask  his 
friends'  leave,  but  took  him  away  without  it.  A  nasty 
old  man — Netai's  father,  too — induced  some  heathen 
men  to  detain  him  by  force,  just  as  I  was  launching  my 
boat  to  go  on  board.  Hearing  some  one  cry,  I  looked 
round,  and  saw  two  men  dragging  him  off  to  the  bush 
from  the  shore,  he  struggling  in  vain  to  get  away. 
There  were  many  collected  on  the  shore  that  morning. 
I  made  a  rush  at  the  two  who  had  hold  of  Novolu,  and, 
just  as  I  got  up  to  them,  they  let  him  go.  I  was  very 
angry  at  them.  It  did  this  much  good,  however,  that  it 
showed  them  he  was  going  away  willingly  and  not  merely 
at  my  instance.  For  two  reasons  I  felt  uneasy  about 
taking  him.     One   was   that    I   was   aware   some   Erro- 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  141 

mangans  had  killed  some  natives  of  Santo  a  few  years 
ago — killed  them  on  their  own  island.  Another  was  on 
account  of  sickness.  While  on  our  way  back,  the  other 
day,  we  called  at  an  island  called  Tongoa.  Novolu 
wished  to  go  to  the  shore  with  us  and  I  consented, 
not  knowing  that  a  month  or  two  ago  a  native  of  that 
island  had  been  killed  on  Erromanga ;  they  would, 
perhaps,  have  killed  him  in  revenge.  He  is  a  good 
trader.  I  gave  him  a  few  things  to  buy  some  curiosities 
on  Santo  to  take  home  with  him ;  he  bought  some 
earthenware,  such  as  the  Santo  people  make,  and  other 
things.^  I  told  him,  on  seeing  his  stock,  that  I  thought 
he  was  driving  hard  bargains.  Some  of  the  men  of 
the  vessel  used  to  give  him  '  trade  '  articles  with  which 
to  buy  bows  and  arrows,  spears  and  clubs,  and  the  like, 
for  them ;  for  natives  buy  more  cheaply  from  each  other 
than  we  can  from  them. 

"  Novolu,  though  a  little  boy,  has  a  wife — a  little  girl 
of  Cook's  Bay.  They  were  betrothed  as  children,  after 
the  native  fashion.  One  day  he  asked  me  if  he  should 
give  her  up,  and  I  told  him  to  let  the  bargain  stand.  If 
they  choose  hereafter  to  take  her  from  him,  well  and 
good.  It  is  likely  they  may  do  so.  And  why  .?  I  can  show 
you  that  by  introducing  another  boy  to  your  notice,  and 
telling  what  happened  to  him.  He,  too,  is  a  chief's  son — 
the  son  of  the  chief  under  whom  the  first  missionaries 
were  settled  in  Dillon's  Bay. 

"  Naling  was  quite  a  little  boy  when  I  settled  there, 
but  though  young  he  soon  carried  a  gun,  and,  by  his 
desire  to  take  part  in  the  war  in  progress  for  two  years, 
he  used  to  give  me  so  much  trouble  that  I  had  to  threaten 
him  with  expulsion.  For  a  long  time  I  had  not  a  very 
good  opinion  of  him,  but  he  improved  greatly  upon  ac- 
quaintance. The  day  I  left  Dillon's  Bay  for  the  last 
time,  a  chief  two  miles  up  the  river  died.     He  was  the 


142  ERROMANGA 

last  of  a  line  of  high  chiefs,  and  his  death  was  much 
deprecated  by  his  people.  I  went  to  see  him  a  while 
before  he  died,  though  he  was  an  enemy  of  Christianity, 
and  died  without  hope.  On  his  death,  the  chieftainship 
was  offered  Naling  on  condition  that  he  renounced  his 
profession  of  Christianity.  This  was  a  tempting  offer 
for  a  boy,  but  he  said  that  he  had  pledged  his  word 
to  me  to  stand  by  the  Christian  cause  and  he  intended 
to  do  so.  He  was  satisfied  with  his  choice.  So  all 
their  efforts  to  shake  his  constancy  were  unavailing. 
That  was  a  noble  stand  for  a  boy  to  take.  But  this 
bright  picture  has  since  been  deeply  shaded. 

"  About  six  months  after  my  departure,  I  heard  of  his 
being  over  at  Cook's  Bay  to  a  feast ;  and,  what  was 
somewhat  singular,  he  had  not  called  to  see  me.  I  was 
told  that  undue  pressure  had  been  brought  to  bear  upon 
him,  that,  if  he  had  refused  to  go  and  comply  with  the 
heathen  customs  of  the  island,  he  would  have  had  his 
wife — a  little  girl  that  I  used  to  see  at  a  preaching-station 
near  Bunkil — taken  from  him.  On  Erromanga  there  are 
not  so  many  women  as  men,  and  every  one — boys  as 
well  as  men — is  ambitious  of  having  a  wife.  So  you  see 
how  differently  those  two  boys  acted,  and  that,  while 
Naling  resisted  temptation  in  one  form,  he  fell  into  it 
in  another,  and  that  what  he  stumbled  at  Novolu  was 
ready  and  able  to  step  over.  And  this  is  not  all.  One 
sin  committed  makes  room  for  the  commission  of  another. 
Naling  went  to  the  feast  without  leave,  and  when  he 
came  back,  on  being  questioned  about  his  inconsistency, 
he  told  a  lie.  He  said  a  man  on  the  mission  premises 
induced  him  to  go,  and  it  is  very  likely  they  would  have 
a  laugh  over  this  among  themselves.  What  need  we 
have  to  dread  the  taking  of  the  first  wrong  step,  and  to 
pray  '  Lead  us  not  into  temptation  ' ! 

"  I  will  close  my  letter  by  giving  you  some  account 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE   143 

of  Naling's  sister,  a  young  woman  older  than  himself. 
When  a  little  girl,  she  was  bought — and  that  is  the 
proper  term — by  a  chief  at  Portinia  Bay,  a  man  old 
enough  to  be  her  father.  After  remaining  a  while  with 
her  owner,  she  ran  away,  and  made  her  way  back  to 
Dillon's  Bay,  which  was  a  clever  feat  in  a  country 
where  there  is  no  highway.  On  my  settlement  in 
Dillon's  Bay,  I  found  her  there,  a  young  girl,  but  in  four 
years  she  grew  up  and  looked  upon  me  as  her  guardian, 
though  she  was  living  with  a  relative  who  was  one  of 
my  best  young  men.  He  died,  and  Naling  became  her 
sole  protector.  She  was  in  a  great  way  on  learning  that 
I  was  going  to  leave  the  island.  One  day  she  came 
crying  into  my  study,  and  said  that  the  heathen  were 
plotting  to  carry  her  off  and  deliver  her  up  to  him  whom 
she  had  run  away  from  when  a  little  child ;  that  I  was 
going  away,  and  that  she  did  not  know  of  any  one  else 
who  had  either  the  will  or  the  ability  to  protect  her ; 
that  she  had  spoken  to  Naling,  and  got  no  satisfaction. 
What  made  that  place  an  asylum  for  her  was  the  fact 
that  her  owner  could  not  visit  the  western  side  of 
the  island.  I  felt  deeply  for  her,  poor  creature,  and  said 
that  I  would  have  a  talk  with  Naling  on  the  subject. 
I  found  that  he  was  willing  to  use  his  influence  to 
prevent  her  being  given  up  to  the  heathen.  She  re- 
ceived the  information,  poor  thing,  with  mingled  feehngs 
of  hope  and  distrust. 

"  20th  November. — Since  writing  the  foregoing,  Novolu 
and  I  have  returned  to  the  spot  we  left  four  months 
ago,  and  glad  indeed  and  thankful  to  God  for  His  good- 
ness to  US-ward,  and  to  those  the  few  whom  we  left 
behind  us  here.  But  some  sad  tidings  awaited  us  both. 
I  said  to  him  the  second  morning  after  we  got  back : 
'  You  can  go  now  and  see  your  father  and  friends  '.     But 


144  ERROMANGA 

he  was  unwilling  to  go,  as  he  had  learned  that  his 
*  father  ' — his  uncle,  rather — had,  during  his  absence,  sold 
his  two  sisters,  young  girls  ;  he  is  angry  about  it,  and 
thinks  he  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him.  His 
mother  came  next  day  to  see  him,  and  to  persuade  him 
to  go  with  her  and  remain  ten  months,  make  a  feast, 
get  some  rings  and  boars'  tusks,  and  thus  become  a  big 
chief.  He  does  not,  however,  seem  to  care  much  about 
their  inducements.  His  mother  said  she  and  his  sisters 
also  cried  greatly  and  mourned  for  him  as  for  one  dead,, 
which  I  believe  they  did.  But  his  uncle  has  done  very 
wickedly  in  selling  his  sisters,  and  the  worst  of  it  is — 
to  men  old  enough  to  be  their  grandfathers.  And  what 
was  got  for  each  ?  A  ring  ^ — an  image  of  the  moon, 
which  is  the  symbol  of  the  chief's  power,  and  which  is 
coveted  more  than  anything  else.  These  two  unhappy 
young  girls  have  been  sold  to  old  men  residing  far 
away,  and  made  miserable  for  ever.  One  of  them,  it  is 
said,  climbed  a  tree  for  the  purpose  of  casting  herself 
down,  but,  after  being  in  the  tree  a  long  time,  she  was 
rescued.  .  .  .  How  thankful  you  should  be  that  you 
cannot  be  sacrificed  for  money  as  these  poor,  defenceless 
little  girls  have  been !  True  are  the  words  of  God,  as 
written  by  Paul — the  heathen  are  devoid  of  '  natural 
affection '. 

"  I  must  now  close  this  letter  without  referring  to  the 
notes  that  I  received  from  some  of  you.  The  fact  is 
that  I  have  only  just  had  the  pleasure  of  reading  them, 
as  they  were  left  behind,  unopened,  when  I  went  to 
Santo.  .  .  .  You  all  remind  me  that  you  have  been  keep- 
ing your  promise  made  to  Dr.  Moon,  and  I  am  glad  of 
that.  You  will  see  that  I,  and  we  all  here,  need  your 
prayers,  and  it  is  very  encouraging  to  have  the  assurance 
that  we  are  deriving  benefit  from   them.       Pray   on. 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE  145 

Pray  for  us.     '  Prayer  moves  the  hand  that  moves  the 
world'     With  many  thanks  and  best  wishes, 
"  I  remain, 

"  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"J.  D.  Gordon." 

The  next  letter  was  written  at — 

"  PoRTiNiA  Bay, 
"Erromanga,  2nd  December,  1870. 

.  .  .  After  acknowledging  letters  from  his  "  young 
friends  "  in  Sydney,  he  says :  "  To  each  and  all  of  you 
I  am  largely  indebted  for  all  the  kind  interest  you  take 
in  one  whom  you  call  the  '  Children's  Missionary '.  I 
wish  I  were  worthy  of  being  such.  ...  I  did  not  get  to 
Santo  this  year,  and  why,  I  need  not  begin  to  tell  you. 
Something  or  somebody  hindered,  and,  if  somebody,  I 
hope  it  was  not  Satan.  I  feel  sure  the  people  of  Santo 
must  think  and  speak  hardly  of  me,  but  that  would  be 
a  small  matter,  if  it  could  be  disassociated  from  the 
interests  of  the  Gospel,  which  must  suffer  under  so  much 
mismanagement.  ...  A  short  time  after  I  had  decided 
upon  not  going  to  Santo  this  year,  Mr.  Macnair  died. 
This,  of  which  you  must  have  heard  with  regret  some 
months  ago,  occurred  in  July.  Since  that,  my  time  has 
been  divided  between  this  place  and  Dillon's  Bay,  and 
I  have  recently  taken  up  another  place.  Cook's  Bay.  .  .  . 
I  used  to  meet  the  children  at  noon,  on  Sabbath, 
between  the  forenoon  and  afternoon  services.  There 
were  a  good  many  of  them,  eighteen  or  twenty  some- 
times, but  several  were  too  small  to  learn  anything  at  all. 
They  would  not  try  even  to  learn  to  sing  '  Happy 
Land '.  Still  it  was  pleasant  to  meet  them,  and  I  felt 
sorry  when  the  time  came  for  my  leaving  them.  Two 
of  these  were  little  girls,  and  delicate.     They  used  to 


146  ERROMANGA 

come  down  the  river,  sometimes  alone.  After  each  had 
got  one  of  the  dresses  made  by  you,  one  day  after  the 
class  was  dismissed,  one  of  them  came  up  to  me,  pointed 
to  her  foot,  saying  it  was  sore — which  it  was — and  she 
was  lame ;  then  with  as  pleasant  an  appearance  and 
persuasive  voice  as  possible,  she  said :  '  Name  (that  is, 
"  mamma  ")  is  very  cold  ;  she  would  like  a  garment '.  It 
would  have  been  impossible  to  refuse ;  so  I  said  I  would 
see  her  in  the  morning,  which  I  did,  and  she  got  what 
she  wanted.  The  begging  propensity  is  pretty  strong 
in  them  however,  and  she  soon  asked  for  an  additional 
dress  for  herself,  but  I  thought  that  would  be  *  too  much 
for  a  little  canoe  \  However,  they  were  regular  attenders 
up  to  the  time  that  I  left,  nearly  a  month  ago,  though 
1  do  not  know  that  they  learned  anything.  There  was 
one  little  girl,  quite  a  little  one,  when  I  first  came  to 
the  island,  but  now  a  little  maid,  and  two  boys  who 
learned  something,  and  these  were  all  that  I  could  dis- 
cover. You  cannot  conceive  how  dull  and  dark  some  of 
their  minds  are,  both  young  and  old.  The  little  girl  was 
my  cook  and  house-maid — tent-maid  I  ought  to  say. 
She  has  two  names :  one  is  Undawiung,  and  the  other 
Nampunia. 

"  One  little  boy  died,  Urumunu,  after  a  few  days'  ill- 
ness. He  too  was  with  me  from  the  time  of  my  first 
settlement  in  Dillon's  Bay.  He  was  always  a  weakly, 
lame  child,  but  a  very  smart  and  pleasant  boy.  He  was 
the  best  scholar,  though  quite  a  young  boy,  and  the 
most  obedient.  He  used  to  pray,  even  in  my  presence, 
before  I  left  them  three  years  ago.  He  used  to  sing 
nicely,  and  his  sweet,  though  shrill,  little  voice  was  on 
the  Sabbath  day  quite  distinguishable  from  the  others. 
He  suffered  greatly  before  his  death,  and  I  could  do 
nothing  for  him  to  relieve  him.  The  medicines  appeared 
to  take  no  effect.     I  was  shocked  at  his  death ;   it  was 


WHAT  HAPPENED  DURING  MY  ABSENCE   147 

so  sudden,  for  I  was  with  him  two  hours  before,  and  had 
so  httle  thought  that  he  would  die  that  I  did  not  even 
ask  him  if  he  were  afraid  to  die ;  for  I  do  not  like  to 
speak  to  them  about  death  unless  I  believe  they  cannot 
recover.  And  so,  when  Urumunu  was  taken,  I  lost  my 
favourite  boy  of  all  the  boys  on  the  island  with  whom  I 
am  acquainted.  How  much  happier  our  lot  would  be 
if  all,  young  and  old,  were  as  well-behaved  and  obedient 
as  was  that  little  boy!  .  .  .  However,  there  are  some 
promising  boys  now,  if  they  continue  so.  But  it  is  so 
hard  to  get  them  removed  beyond  the  influence  of  their 
heathen  friends.  Indeed,  rarely  can  that  be  effected. 
I  only  know  of  three  or  four  instances.  But  there  may 
be  more  given  in  answer  to  your  prayers  if  you  persevere. 
We  need  your  prayers,  I  assure  you,  for  many  are  they 
who  fight  against  us.  Let  us  remember  Him  who  said, 
and  still  says  to  us :  '  Without  Me  ye  can  do  nothing '. 
That  is  absolutely  true. 

"  You  told  me  in  your  letters  that  you  were  afraid  I 
would  be  tired  of  reading  them,  they  were  so  many. 
Now  it  is  my  turn  to  say  I  fear  you  will  weary  of  mine, 
it  is  so  long  and  there  is  so  little  in  it  after  all.  Any- 
how, let  it  lure  take  ending.  My  benediction  i.>  worth 
nothing,  else  I  would  give  it  you.  '  The  blessing  of  the 
Lord  maketh  rich  and  addeth  no  sorrow  therewith.' 
Good-bye  for  the  present. 

"  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"J.  D.  Gordon." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

1869-1872 — Continued. 

The  visit  to  Santo  mentioned  by  Mr.  Gordon  in  the  first 
of  the  foregoing  letters  to  his  young  friends  proved  to 
be  the  last  that  he  ever  paid  to  that  island,  though  for 
its  evangelisation  his  heart  yearned  with  all  the  intensity 
of  his  nature.  His  second  letter,  written  at  Potnuma, 
bears  testimony  to  the  deep  and  abiding  interest  he  took 
in  Santo  and  its  people,  and  how  disappointed  he  was 
when  the  way  was  not  open  for  continuing  his  visits 
and  teachings.  A  number  of  young  people  had 
gathered  round  him,  and  they  had  evidently  become 
attached  to  him,  for,  years  after,  when  missionary  depu- 
tations visited  that  particular  part  of  Santo,  a  number  of 
natives,  principally  young  people,  anxiously  inquired 
when  their  own  tall  missionary  would  come  back  to 
them  as  he  had  promised  to  do.  Mr.  Milne,  referring 
to  a  visit  he  had  made  there  in  company  with  Mr.  Inglis, 
wrote  to  me :  "  What  a  splendid  place  this  is  for  a 
missionary!  I  think  it  is  the  finest  in  the  group,  ;.nd 
what  an  interesting  people!  There  is  nothing  to  pre- 
vent a  man  being  settled  here  at  once." 

The  last  year  of  Mr.  Gordon's  life  on  Erromanga 
was  devoted  largely  to  the  translating  of  portions  of  the 
Gospels  and  revising  his  own  and  his  brother's  trans- 
lations. The  book  of  Genesis  was  printed  in  Sydney  in 
1867,  and  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  in  London,  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  at  a  later  date.     He 

(148) 


1 869- 1 8/2  149 

visited  most  of  the  districts  near  his  station  on  foot, 
some  of  the  roads  being  too  rough  for  his  horse ;  but 
he  was  able  to  travel  to  Cook's  Bay  on  horseback.  This 
he  frequently  did,  and  had  his  tent  pitched  on  a  raised, 
rough  floor,  inside  a  siman-lo'^  or  '  feasting-house '. 
Though  they  were  all  heathens,  the  high  chiefs  and  im- 
portant people  of  that  district  were  friendly  to  Mr. 
Gordon,  and  were  roused  to  indignation  when  they  heard 
of  his  tragic  death.  At  Ifwa,  upon  one  occasion  when  he 
was  visiting  round  the  island  in  his  boat,  he  and  his  crew 
were  within  an  inch  of  being  massacred.  The  chief's 
influence  over  his  people  alone  prevented  them  from 
dragging  up  the  boat  as  soon  as  it  touched  the  shore 
and  tomahawking  all  on  board.  Out  of  resentment, 
they  snatched  a  fine  double-barrelled  gun  from  Sempint, 
one  of  the  crew,  and  ran  off  with  it.  Sempint  never 
recovered  his  gun,  and  often,  when  the  other  members 
of  the  crew  would  be  describing  to  me  their  escape 
from  a  cruel  death,  he  would  break  in  with :  "  But 
think  of  my  loss — the  loss  of  my  fine  new  gun.  Oh! 
my  beloved  gun !  "  The  lives  of  his  missionary  and  of 
all  in  the  boat  that  day,  including  his  own,  were  evidently 
a  trifle  compared  with  the  loss  of  his  gun.  On  a  pre- 
vious visit  to  Ifwa,  Mr.  Gordon  had  shared  his  scanty 
dinner  with  the  chief,  had  conversed  pleasantly  and 
respectfully  with  him,  and  had,  on  leaving,  given  him  a 
small  present.  It  was  this  simple  act  of  kindness  that 
now  saved  his  life  and  that  of  all  with  hira.^ 

During  the  first  part  of  his  stay  at  Potnuma,  a  great 
cave  was  used  as  a  place  for  service,  but  Mr.  Gordon 
was  soon  able  to  build  a  church  of  concrete  walls  and 
thatched  roof,  and  also  his  own  dwelling-house.  The 
young  people  from  distant  villages  who  had  come  for 
instruction  soon  learned  to  read,  and  thus  to  "  open  the 
doorl^  or  "  the  entrance   of  the  way"  as   they   express 


I50  ERROMANGA 

it,  "  into  God's  sacred  Book ".  Their  very  eagerness 
to  receive  this  instruction  which  was  opening  their  eyes 
to  the  priceless  blessings  of  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  and  causing  them  to  turn  with  loathing 
from  the  reign  of  cruelty,  ignorance  and  shame  on  every 
hand,  only  the  more  enraged  the  heathen  against  the 
Gospel  and  the  young  converts,  and  especially  against 
the  missionary,  whom  they  regarded  as  the  noatnin^ 
'  root,'  of  the  whole  matter.  They  resolved  that  he 
should  pay  the  penalty  with  his  life.  By  his  death  this 
new  religion  would  be  for  ever  crushed  on  their  island. 
Those  in  distant  lands  who  had  sent  missionaries  again 
and  again  to  Erromanga  would  surely  not  be  mad  enough 
to  send  a  tampenum,  '  successor,'  to  this  man. 

And  now  the  end  was  not  far  off.  James  Gordon's 
death  removed  from  the  little  band  of  as  devoted  and  sin- 
cere Christians  as  it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  know,  their 
dearest  earthly  friend,  or,  as  they  themselves  expressed 
it,  "it  had  put  out  their  last  light".  It  added  another 
name  to  the  long  roll  of  God's  martyrs,  and  while  it 
rent  the  heart  of  Christendom  afresh,  it  increased,  if 
possible,  the  undying  interest  in  Erromanga  and  its  un- 
happy people.  Gladly  would  I  pass  over  the  closing 
scene,  so  heart-rending  and  mysterious  does  it  all  seem. 
I  have  so  often  been  at  the  spot  where  Gordon  fell  and 
bled  to  death,  and  have  stood  still,  as  upon  holy  ground, 
by  his  lonely  grave,  with  the  most  solemn  feelings  that 
have  ever  wrung  my  heart.  Had  he  not  toiled  and 
prayed  and  suffered  and  given  up  at  last  his  very 
life  for  Erromanga  .^ 

On  Thursday  morning,  7th  March,  1872,  all  the  strong 
young  men  and  lads  had  gone  to  cut  poles  to  fence  the 
burying  ground,  which  was  about  half  a  mile  up  the 
valley.  Netai,  a  true  and  able  friend,  had,  just  a  fortnight 
before,  been  settled  as  a  teacher  beyond  Traitor's  Head 


1869-1872  151 

and  within  Cook's  Bay.  Only  two  lame  men  and  one 
boy  were  with  Mr.  Gordon  at  the  Mission  station.  But 
this  was  nothing  unusual.  Frequently  there  are  so  few 
native  helpers,  especially  in  the  early  years  of  one's 
work,  that  when  anything  requiring  more  than  one 
workman  is  to  be  done,  the  missionary  is  often  obliged 
to  send  all  his  available  help  to  do  that  work.  This 
is  not  desirable,  but  we  have  all  had  to  do  it.  On  this 
occasion,  the  enemy  knew  all  this,  the  murderer  and  his 
accomplice  lived  quite  near,  and  the  plot  having  been 
made  two  months  before  by  several  high  chiefs  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  island,  it  only  remained  for  them  to 
watch  their  chance. 

All  the  forenoon  of  the  fatal  day,  Mr.  Gordon  was 
busy  revising  his  brother's  translation  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  assisted  by  his  able  and  faithful  pundit,^  Soso. 
He  had  reached  the  middle  of  the  seventh  chapter,  where 
the  narrative  of  the  stoning  of  Stephen  occurs  ;  Soso 
afterwards  gave  me  the  manuscript,  and  the  corrections 
in  new  ink  were  easily  traced  so  far,  and  ended  there. 
About  midday  Nerimpau,  the  murderer,  and  his  accom- 
plice, Nare,  appeared  on  the  verandah  of  the  Mission- 
house.  Mr.  Gordon  and  Soso  both  saw  the  men,  for 
only  the  glass  door,  or  French  window,  separated  them. 
They  asked  for  empty  bottles,  which  natives  like  to  get 
for  holding  their  drinking-water  in  preference  to  their 
long  bamboo  bottles  *  or  cocoanut-shells.  Mr.  Gordon 
suspected  nothing,  and,  asking  Soso  to  look  over  once 
more  their  corrections,  rose  and  gave  the  men  what  they 
wanted.  He  then  gave  some  rice  to  Nov5lu  Naiyup, 
the  young  lad  who  was  his  cook,  and  told  him  to  boil  it 
for  his  dinner.  As  the  two  men  were  still  hanging 
about  and  talking  to  him,  he  sat  down  on  the  verandah 
in  his  arm-chair — the  same  that  I  had  seen  him  making 
on  board  the  Day  spring  in  the  autumn  of  1863,  while 


152  ERROMANGA 

we  were  on  our  way  to  the  Cape.  Nare  stood  on  the 
ground  facing  him,  and  Nerimpau  by  his  side  on  the 
verandah.  Nare  engaged  Mr.  Gordon  in  conversation, 
and  Nerimpau,  seeing  his  opportunity,  instantly  plunged 
his  tomahawk  into  his  victim's  face.  The  poor  man 
sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  pushing  open  the  glass  door 
leading  into  his  study,  fell  heavily  upon  the  floor.  Soso, 
who  had  left  the  manuscript  lying  on  the  floor,  where 
he  had  been  sitting,  and  had  gone  into  the  dining-room, 
heard  the  thud  when  Mr.  Gordon  fell.  On  entering, 
he  found  him  lying  on  his  face,  the  blood  rushing  from 
a  fearful  gash  in  his  side-face  and  from  his  mouth.  He 
made  an  attempt  to  turn  upon  his  back,  his  lips  moved, 
Soso  thought  in  prayer,  and  then  with  one  long-drawn 
deep  gasp  his  spirit  returned  to  the  God  who  gave  it 
and  to  the  Saviour  whom  he  had  so  faithfully  loved. 
"  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes,  and 
whence  came  they  1  " 

Novolu  Naiyup,  the  young  cook,  saw  the  awful  deed 
from  where  he  was  working ;  he  afterwards  told  us  that 
Nerimpau  tried  to  prevent  Mr.  Gordon  from  entering 
his  study,  but,  failing  in  that,  he  followed  him  in  and 
pulled  the  tomahawk  from  the  face  of  his  victim.  So 
deep  had  the  blow  fallen  that  Mr.  Gordon  carried  the 
fatal  axe  sticking  in  his  skull  as  he  rushed  to  his  room. 
How  horrid  the  callousness  of  the  native  who,  not  con- 
tent with  his  foul  murder,  made  sure  of  taking  his  axe 
away  with  him.  They  were  determined  to  kill  him,  for 
a  native,  an  enemy,  had  been  some  time  lying  in  the 
kitchen  professedly  asleep.  If  Nerimpau  and  Nare 
failed,  he  was  to  kill  the  missionary ;  should  he  also  fail, 
yet  another  man  was  concealed  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
where  they  knew  Mr.  Gordon  would  be  going  to  bathe 
in  the  afternoon.  As  soon  as  the  murder  was  com- 
mitted and  Nerimpau  had  secured  his  weapon,  the  two 


1869-1872  153 

men  fled  down  the  path,  the  '  sleeping '  foe  in  the  kitchen 
closely  following. 

Mr.  Gordon  had  fallen  with  his  face  upon  his  manu- 
script, and,  when  he  was  moved,  it  was  found  that 
that  page — his  last  writing — was  stained  with  his  life- 
blood.  Soso  in  great  grief  sent  the  young  lad  Novolu 
to  call  the  men  from  their  work,  and  as  soon  as  possible 
a  messenger  was  sent  to  Netai.  He,  poor  fellow,  on 
hearing  the  news,  ran  the  whole  distance  from  Cook's 
Bay,  over  the  rocky  mountain  paths. ^  Together  they 
made  a  rude  coffin  for  their  loved  missionary,  and,  in 
bitter  grief,  buried  him  that  same  evening  in  a  spot  which 
Mr.  Gordon  had  pointed  out  for  his  burial,  should  his 
death  occur. 

I  should  like  to  insert  here  the  following  letter  written 
to  me  lately  by  Rev.  Dr.  Paton,  who  knew  well  and 
esteemed  the  martyred  Gordons,  and  can  speak  with 
knowledge  of  their  work. 

■•Aniwa,  22rd  yune,  1899. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Robertson, 

"  In  replying  to  yours,  I  may  say  that  I 
cannot  find  a  letter  of  the  martyrs  of  Erromanga  in  my 
possession.  All  from  George  N.  Gordon  were  lost,  with 
all  else  I  possessed  except  my  pocket  Bible,  when  I  had 
to  escape  from  Tanna.^  He  and  his  wife  were  pious, 
able,  consecrated  missionaries,  who  had  to  submit  to 
much  self-denial  and  hardship  in  laying  the  foundations 
of  the  Lord's  work  on  blood-stained  Erromanga.  They 
were  my  chief  friends,  and  our  Christian  intercourse  was 
precious.  Mrs.  Gordon  was  an  excellent  woman,  and 
a  great  comfort  and  help  to  her  husband  in  all  their  work 
and  trials,  in  all  their  dangers  resignedly  resting  on 
Jesus  and  encouraging  him,  seemingly  without  fear. 

"  The  Rev.  Joseph  Copeland  and  I  spent  a  Saturday 


154  ERROMANGA 

and  Sabbath  with  them  on  Erromanga  shortly  before 
their  deaths.  We  had  taken  to  them  a  harmonium  in 
the  John  Knox,  our  first  mission  schooner.  Mrs.  Gordon 
and  the  natives  were  dehghted,  as  she  taught  them  with 
it  to  sing  hymns.  They  had  a  number  of  young  men 
and  women,  who  had  become  Christians,  hving  with 
them  or  near  them.  The  Sabbath  was  indeed  one 
spent  with  Jesus  and  His  dear  servants.  The  savages, 
to  stop  the  extending  of  the  Lord's  work  there,  had 
resolved  to  murder  the  missionaries.  .  .  .  Almost  together 
they  received  their  martyr-crowns,  and  entered  into  the 
joy  of  their  Lord  in  the  glory  of  Heaven.  The  young 
men  .  .  .  laid  their  remains  in  the  grave,  over  which 
weeping  and  wailing  they  vowed,  '  We  will  conquer 
Erromanga  for  Jesus,  or  die  as  our  missionaries  have 
died  in  the  effort '.  After  this,  in  the  missionary's  boat, 
they  came  to  me  on  Tanna,  and  in  great  sorrow  informed 
me  of  the,  to  them,  great  loss  of  their  missionary  and 
his  wife.  Having  got  such  advice  as  they  needed,  they 
returned  to  carry  out  their  vow. 

"  James  Gordon,  a  brother  of  the  martyred  man,  then 
a  student  in  Canada,  resolved  to  go  to  Erromanga,  and, 
if  possible,  convert  to  the  service  of  our  God  the  mur- 
derers of  his  brother  and  sister.  He  came  out  with  the 
first  Dayspring,  and  claimed  the  same  friendship  I  had 
had  with  his  brother,  which  was  given,  and  continued 
unbroken  till  his  death.  He  also  was  a  heavenly 
minded,  consecrated  missionary,  full  of  burning  zeal  for 
the  conversion  and  eternal  salvation  of  the  savages  of 
Erromanga.  His  brother's  few  converts  received  him 
with  great  joy,  and  faithfully  stood  by  him.  He  had 
constituted  a  church  among  them,  and  was  having  suc- 
cess, when  the  Rev.  James  and  Mrs.  Macnair  joined  our 
Mission  and  cast  in  their  lot  with  Mr.  Gordon  on  Erro- 
manga.    In  his  noble,  self-denying  spirit,  Mr.   Gordon 


1869-1872  155 

gave  them  his  house  and  church  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and, 
accompanied  by  a  few  of  his  young  men  and  women, 
he  went  to  Portinia  Bay,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
island,  to  begin  a  new  station.  Mr.  Macnair  died  after 
a  short  period  of  devoted  labour,  when  Mr.  Gordon  had 
to  take  charge  of  and  work  both  stations.  I  accom- 
panied Mr.  Gordon,  and  helped  him  to  pitch  his  tent  on 
Santo,  where  he  wished  also  to  preach  the  Gospel.  To 
stop  God's  work,  the  savages  of  Erromanga  resolved  to 
murder  him  as  they  had  done  to  his  brother.  .  .  .  On  my 
next  visit  Mr.  Gordon  was  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and  we  spent 
our  time  in  consultation  and  prayer,  fearing  we  should 
not  meet  again,  as  his  dangers  and  ours  appeared  about 
equal.  We  urged  him  much  to  leave  with  us,  but  he 
would  not;  trusting  God,  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to 
remain.  On  our  leaving,  he  accompanied  me  to  the 
boat.  Our  hearts  were  too  full  then  for  speaking,  but, 
looking  earnestly  at  each  other,  we  said  good-bye.  I 
jumped  into  the  boat,  and,  hat  in  hand,  he  sat  down 
on  the  stones  on  the  shore,  and,  when  we  were  losing 
sight  of  each  other,  he  rose,  waved  his  last  farewell,  and 
returned  to  his  house.  Soon  after  this,  when  at  Portinia 
Bay,  he  was  revising  the  translation  of  Stephen's 
martyrdom.  He  had  reached  the  words,  '  Lord  Jesus 
receive  my  spirit,  and  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge,' 
when  he,  too,  fell  asleep.  ...  In  bitter  grief  and  weeping 
over  their  loss  the  Christian  natives  laid  his  body  in  a 
grave  by  the  sea-shore,  and  over  it  renewed  the  vow  to 
conquer  Erromanga  for  Jesus.  They  again  came  to  me  in 
the  missionary's  boat,  and,  on  Aniwa,  in  agony  told  me  of 
their  loss.  After  conversation,  prayer  and  advice,  in  a 
few  days  they  returned  to  fulfil  their  vow  like  true 
Christian  heroes.  You  know  better  than  I  how,  through 
your  dear  wife,  yourself  and  these  men,  that  vow  has 


156  ERROMANGA 

been  redeemed,  and  that  Erromanga  is  now  a  Christian 
island,  for  which  we  all  praise  our  dear  Lord  Jesus. 

"  The  noble  Gordons  and  Macnairs  were  most  excel- 
lent missionaries,  as  well  as  my  dear  fellow-labourers  in 
the  darkest  days  of  our  Mission.  Now  they  all  have  their 
reward  with  Jesus  in  the  glory  and  joys  of  heaven.  May 
we  all  at  last  meet  there  as  His  redeemed. 

"  Yours  faithfully, 

"John  G.  Paton." 

Dr.  Paton  speaks  of  the  young  men  going  to  Aniwa 
in  the  mission-boat.  S6s5  sent  by  them  a  letter,  which, 
translated  by  the  Rev.  Peter  Milne,  of  Nguna,  reads  as 
follows :  — 

"  I  am  Soso.  Love  to  you,  Misi  Paton.  Why  this 
word  of  mine  to  you  ?  Because  the  Erromangans  have 
killed  Misi  Gordon,  and  he  is  not  here  now.  A  man 
named  Nerimpau  struck  Misi  in  the  month  of  March, 
the  7th  day,  Thursday.  There  was  one  servant  with 
Nerimpau,  named  Nare.  He  (Nerimpau)  cut  his  fore- 
head with  a  tomahawk  one  time  only,  and  I  buried 
him  there  at  Potnuma,  according  to  the  word  which  he 
had  spoken,  namely :  '  If  I  die,  bury  ye  me  here ;  after- 
wards send  word  to  the  missionaries ' ;  and  I  did  so. 
And  I  assembled  the  young  men,  and  the  children  and 
the  women,  and  remained  there  on  Friday  and  Satur- 
day and  Sunday.  I  saw  Naling  and  part  of  the  young 
men  from  Dillon's  Bay.  The  carpenter  sent  them  to 
bring  us  from  Potnuma.  And  I  asked  them  about  the 
goods  and  the  house ;  and  they  thought  that  we  should 
leave  them.  Accordingly,  on  Monday  we  made  ready. 
I  took  the  money,  and  the  books  which  he  made  with  his 
hand  (MSS.)  in  the  English,  Erromangan,  and  Espiritu- 
Santo  languages,  and  part  of  the  clothes  and  the  knives ; 


1 869- 1 872  '57 

I  have  them  here,  and  the  portraits  are  in  my  house  at 
Unpotindi  (Cook's  Bay) ;  the  chiefs  there  keep  them. 
And  on  Tuesday  I  took  the  young  men,  and  the  children 
and  the  women — forty-three  in  all — from  that  village, 
and  lay  in  the  bush ;  and  on  Wednesday  we  went  in 
haste  to  Umbongkora  (Dillon's  Bay),  and  remained 
there  on  Thursday.  On  Friday,  nine  young  men  re- 
turned to  Roviliau,  and  killed  three  men  and  one  woman 
— these  were  four ;  they  were  able  to  smite  more,  but 
the  carpenter  forbade  it.  The  heathen  took  all  the 
goods  from  the  house,  and  burned  the  holy  books,  and 
broke  down  the  house.  Thus  do  the  wicked  Erro- 
mangans  treat  the  children  of  God ;  and  this  is  the 
only  thought  of  the  men  here — they  burn  the  Word  of 
Jehovah,  and  think  it  dead.  This  man,  Nerimpau,  his 
child  died  ;  he  hated  and  killed  Misi."  '^ 

Thus  far  the  faithful  Soso's  short  account.  I  am  now 
going  to  give  Yomofs  detailed  story  of  that  tragic  time. 
He  has  often  and  often  given  it,  and  how  1  wish  I  could 
present  a  picture  of  him  as  he  tells  it!  now  sitting 
calmly,  now  springing  to  his  feet,  his  beautiful  dark  eyes 
blazing,  his  whole  body  swaying  with  excitement,  as  he 
recalls  the  past.  He  goes  through  every  motion,  and  by 
his  interest  and  realistic  description  carries  iis,  too,  away 
back  to  the  time  when  Erromanga  was  yet  dark  Erro- 
manga.      This  is  what  he  told  me. 

Yomot's^  Story. 

"  When  Mr.  Gordon  came  to  Potnuma  I  was  living 
quite  near  him,  and  was  one  of  the  young  men  who 
helped  him  with  his  work.  But  we  were  very  few ;  the 
heathen  would  not  allow  their  boys  to  come  to  the 
*  Misi,'  and  those  who  did  venture  of  their  own  accord 
were  cruelly  used  by  the  angry  people,  who  used  to 


158  ERROMANGA 

come  and  drag  them  away;  some  were  even  killed 
and  eaten.  Those  were  dreadful  days ;  when  the  tribes 
fought,  those  that  were  overcome  were  doomed  to  the 
awful  death.  '  Misi,'  I  have  seen  them,  the  poor  victims, 
still  living  and  in  writhing  agony,  bound,  as  we  bind 
pigs,  to  a  long  pole,  and  carried  along  by  a  band  of 
wild,  painted  savages,  yelling  their  exultant  war-cry. 
And  they  were  not  then,  as  now,  few  in  number;  the 
hills,  the  valleys,  every  bay,  every  headland  teemed  with 
people.  We  would  be  working  in  our  plantations,  or 
perhaps  sitting,  resting,  when  we  would  hear  the  heavy 
tramp  of  hurried  feet  and  the  war-cry.  Two  men  would 
rush  past  us,  the  pole  they  bore  swaying  with  the  weight 
of  the  poor  man  beneath  it ;  more  would  dash  past  still, 
with  their  loud  whoop,  whoop,  whoop  !  that  made  the  very 
hills  ring  with  the  echo,  one  man  after  another  being 
rushed  on  to  his  doom.  It  was  a  sickening  sight,  but 
we  were  used  to  it  and  felt  it  not  as  we  should  now. 

"  Mr.  Gordon  was  surrounded  by  various  tribes  of 
hostile  people,  only  the  chiefs  of  Cook's  Bay  being 
friendly.  When  he  first  landed  at  Potnuma,  his  tent 
was  pitched  for  a  dwelling-place,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  the  Dayspring  returned  with  Mr.  Paton  on 
board,  and  our  Misi  left  us  to  go  to  Santo.  Novolu 
Navorem,  a  young  boy  who  was  living  with  him,  asked 
to  go  too,  and  Mr.  Gordon  wished  to  take  him  that  he 
might  help  him,  cook  for  him,  and  assist  him,  too,  in 
learning  the  Erromangan  language.  But  the  boy's 
friends  were  angry.  *  He  shall  not  go !  '  they  said,  and, 
when  the  boat  came  to  the  shore,  they  gathered  round 
it.  As  Novolou  went  to  step  into  the  boat,  the  men 
caught  hold  of  him ;  he  struggled,  but  they  pulled  him 
out,  and  dragged  him  away.  Mr.  Gordon  rushed  after 
them,  pushed  them  all  aside,  for  he  was  a  big  powerful 
man,  lifted  the  boy  right  into  the  boat,  then  jumped  in 


1 869- 1 872  159 

himself,  and  they  were  off.  He  was  not  easily  turned 
aside  from  his  purpose.  When  he  returned  from  Santo, 
he  built  his  house  at  Potnuma,  and  the  great  cave  there 
was  made  into  a  church. 

"  After  he  had  been  many  months  teaching  us  and 
translating  the  '  word,'  visiting  the  people  round  about, 
and  striving  to  change  their  heathen  hearts,  one  day  he 
called  us  all :  '  Come,  oviarep,  '  young  men,  boys,'  he 
said,  '  let  us  go  to  Ifwa,  where  I  have  never  been '.  So 
we  started  in  the  Yarra-  Yarra^  but  soon  I  was  so  ill 
that  Mr.  Gordon  said  to  me,  *  You  go  back,  Yomot,  and 
look  after  my  house '.  Soon  after  I  returned  to  Pot- 
numa, the  mother  of  Navusia,  my  wife,  took  ill,  and  we 
crossed  over  the  hills  to  see  her.  They  said — the  Misi 
and  those  who  went  with  him — that  I  should  not  have 
done  this,  that  my  place  was  on  the  Mission-grounds. 
But  I  was  young  and  headstrong,  and  had  not  looked 
at  my  conduct  in  that  light.  Netai,  who  was  my  '  own 
brother,*  ^^  was  very  angry,  and  forbade  me  to  return  to 
them.  Now,  in  my  heart  I  knew  that  the  Misi  had  no 
more  faithful  friend  than  I,  but  when  Netai  said  this 
to  me  I  replied :  '  Let  it  be  so ;  you  keep  me  away ;  go 
you  back  to  your  land,  and  I  will  stop  here  where  I  am 
a  stranger '.  So  the  time  went  by  and  I  lived  at  Um- 
bongkora  (Dillon's  Bay),  and  worked  for  Smith  by  the 
river,  on  the  south  side.  One  day  I  went  far  up  the 
valley  in  search  of  bread-fruit,  and  was  plucking  some, 
when  I  thought  I  heard  some  one  calling  me.  '  Who  is 
there } '  I  replied,  and  I  had  scarcely  spoken  when  I 
saw,  hurrying  down  the  mountain  track,  Novolu  Naim- 
pium,  looking  frightened  and  troubled.  '  Yomot, 
Yomot !'  he  called  to  me,  ^  oveteme  utai  Misi  Gordon  !' 
*  the  people  have  killed  Mr.  Gordon ! '  Oh,  what  evil 
news  was  this  to  me !  My  Misi,  whom  I  loved  in  spite  of 
all  my  hastiness,  cut  down  and  by  my  own  people.     My 


i60  ERROMANGA 

heart  was  heavy,  and  for  many  days  we  wept  for  him 
who  had  been  taken  from  us.  I  was  all  the  time  restless 
and  troubled  ;  for,  although  I  told  no  one  of  my  feelings, 
right  down  in  my  heart  was  the  longing  for  revenge 
against  the  cruel  people  who  had  so  used  us.  Was  it 
wrong,  Misi  ?  What  would  yon  have  done  if  your  friend 
had  been  deceived  and  killed  by  lying  men  ?  How 
would  you  have  felt  if  your  '  brother '  had  been  slain 
by  cruel  hands,  even  though  the  murderer  were  of  your 
own  land  ?  Mt'st,  I  zvas  Just  hungry  for  them.  But  I 
thought,  '  What  am  I  to  do .?  Here  am  I  in  this  strange 
land,  Umbongkora ;  these  people  are  not  my  people ;  I 
am  alone,  and,  if  I  do  anything  rash,  strangers  are  all 
around,  and  I  shall  be  powerless.'  They  suspected  me, 
and  said,  '  What  are  you  thinking  of }  why  is  it  you  go 
about  as  if  you  were  everybody's  enemy  ? '  Naling,  the 
chief  of  Umbongkora,  he,  too,  wished  revenge,  and  we 
spoke  of  killing  that  old  nareki  sat,  '  wicked  fellow,' 
Auwi-auwi,  Woris  Nangeri,  and  Narai,  who  had  always 
been  our  enemy,  and  who  had  attempted  the  death  of 
Mr.  Gordon  for  many  months.  But  Narai,  who  was  at 
Sufa,  heard  of  our  intention,  and  kept  away.  A  canoe 
passed  us  with  two  men  who  were  going  to  take  him  to 
a  nisekar, '  feast  '}^  I  seized  my  gun.  '  Come,  let  us  kill 
these  wretches,'  I  said.  Naling  said  that  he  would  fire. 
I  told  him  that  if  he  would  do  it,  to  see  that  his  aim  was 
iure  and  not  to  let  them  go.  But  the  canoe  kept  far 
too  far  away,  and  they  escaped  us — those  two  who  were 
Narai's  friends.  Naling  had  far  better  have  let  me 
shoot  them. ^2 

"  On  a  Saturday  we  left  Umbongkora — I,  and  the 
boys,  and  Naling,  and  Naimpium ;  that  night  we  lay  in 
the  bush,  and  on  Sunday  we  reached  Potnuma,  and 
saw  the  men  of  Loves,  Netai,  and  his  brothers  Lifu  and 
Novolu  Teruvat.     Our  faces  were   sad  when  we  met, 


1 869-1 872  161 

for  our  Misi  had  been  killed.  Soso  then  told  us  to  make 
ready  to  leave  that  land,  and  on  Monday  some  of  us, 
who  were  strong,  with  the  children,  the  old  people,  the 
women  and  those  who  were  weak  left  in  the  Yarra-  Yarra 
to  go  round  to  Umbongkora.  We  were  too  many,  and, 
the  boat  beginning  to  sink,  we  returned  in  haste  to  the 
shore.  We  lay  on  Tuesday  night  at  Umpon-pohur,  in 
the  hills,  and  the  next  day  we  reached  Umbongkora. 
We  at  once  made  a  stockade  round  the  Mission-house, 
where  we  all  gathered  for  safety,  and  Netai  put  the 
young  men  and  boys  to  guard  the  place. 

"  '  Now,'  we  said,  '  the  children,  the  women  and  the 
old  and  weak  people  are  here ;  they  are  safe,  and  we 
have  work  to  do.'  For  two  days  mafeli  pwohas  mafeli 
pzvorap,  '  from  morning  till  evening,'  I  prepared  for  my- 
self cartridges  until  my  belt  was  filled,  and  that  night 
we  slept.  In  the  early  morning  we  rose  and  ate  food. 
'  Now,'  said  I  to  the  young  men  with  me,  '  be  ready ; 
we  have  work  before  us,'  and  I  stood  up  and  tied  my 
cartridge-belt  round  me.  I  put  my  gun  over  my 
shoulder,  and,  holding  out  my  hand  to  the  carpenter, 
said  :  '  Give  me  caps  '.  He  gave  me  them,  and  I  placed 
them  in  my  garment.  '  Give  me  tobacco.'  He  handed 
me  that,  and  I  put  it  in  my  pouch.  '  Give  me  matches,' 
and  he  gave  them  to  me.  '  My  love  to  you  all,'  I  said ; 
'  I  am  away.'  I  overtook  Netai  and  the  young  men  on 
the  road,  and  we  hastened  along  our  way.  All  day  we 
walked  and  told  each  other  to  be  ready  for  any  foe 
that  we  might  meet ;  for  the  heathen  were  all  around 
us,  and  at  any  moment  might  find  out  our  errand. 
When  we  reached  Roviliau  we  rested  and  drank  neserop^ 
'  cocoanut  milk,'  for  we  were  tired  and  thirsty.  Soon 
we  had  to  hurry  on.  Darkness  came  upon  us  ;  we  could 
scarcely  see  the  road,  but  /  knew  every  spot,  every  turn 
of  it ;  for  was  it  not  my  land  ?      Some  of  the  lads,  their 


i62  ERROMANGA 

hearts  failed  them.  '  We  cannot  see ;  we  do  not  know 
the  selat,  '  road/  they  said.  '  I  am  the  selai,'  I  called 
back,  as  I  snatched  a  branch  that  was  shining  ^^  with  light 
and  tied  it  on  my  back.  So,  as  I  darted  along  under 
great  trees,  over  clefts,  they  caught  the  glimmer  of  the 
light  ahead  and  followed.  Soon  we  approached  Arawau, 
and  we  spoke  in  whispers,  for  there  might  be  foes  near. 
'  Hear,  you  young  men  ; '  I  said,  '  there  may  be  many 
to  meet;  there  may  be  but  few;  these  nelevokevat, 
'  heathen,'  have  killed  our  Misi.  Are  we  going  to  allow 
this  and  do  nothing } '  They  say,  *  These  Christians  are 
women ;  they  cannot  handle  a  battle-axe,  and  we  can 
kill  as  we  please.'  '  Show  them  your  strength,  if  you 
have  any.  Let  no  man  know  his  brother  or  his  father ; 
we  have  no  brothers,  no  fathers  to-night.  At  Arawau, 
we  killed  the  brother  of  my  mother  and  his  wife.  They 
had  hated  our  Misi,  and  done  him  harm,  and  Christian 
boys  had  been  cooked  and  eaten  in  that  very  village.' 
Then  we  turned  again  to  the  road,  remembering  that  we 
had  left  Wawis  and  Lifu  Ukina  alone,  and  that  they 
might  be  in  danger ;  but  they  were  quite  safe. 

"  Soon  we  caught  sight  of  footprints,  and  came  across 
a  young  man — an  enemy.  We  deceived  him,  and  told 
him  to  come  and  show  us  the  road.  He  pointed  it  out : 
'  There  is  the  se/a/  '.  '  Come  and  show  us,'  we  answered, 
'  we  do  not  know  it ;  go  you  ahead  and  we  will  follow.' 
He  seemed  to  suspect  something;  but,  though  afraid, 
tried  to  hide  his  fear,  and  came  forward.  Nariovi  was 
behind  him,  and  when  he  saw  his  chance  killed  the  man, 
and  he  lay  dead  by  the  roadside.  Later  we  fell  in  with 
more  people.  One  man,  his  name  was  Umas,  a  man  of 
Unepang,  talked  with  us,  and  when  he  left  I  stole  away 
from  my  friends  and  followed  him.  It  was  not  long 
before  he,  too,  fell  dying  from  a  wound  by  my  gun-shot. 
Umas  was  a  fan-Id, '  great  chief/  or  one  belonging  to  a 


1 869- 1 872  163 

family  of  High  Chiefs,  of  Unepang,  and  after  his  death 
his  people  vowed  vengeance  on  me.  It  was  for  this  that 
the  oveteme  Unepang^^  hated  me,  and  you  know,  Misi 
that  for  years  they  wanted  my  death. 

"  So  we  returned  to  Umbongkora,  our  hands  red  with 
blood,  and  our  hearts,  perhaps,  red  too.  We  would 
have  gone  on  with  the  revenge,  but,  we  said,  that, 
perhaps,  if  we  did,  the  missionaries  would  say  that  we 
were  heathen  and  murderers  ourselves.  But,  Misi, 
though  we  were  sorry  afterwards  for  our  conduct,  T 
sometimes  think  that  we  did  not  do  so  wrongly  as  some 
said  we  did.  The  Erromangans  were  killing,  killing  all 
the  time,  cruel  to  the  Christians,  and  doing  everything 
to  endanger  the  lives  of  the  missionaries.  They  had 
killed  Mr.  Williams  and  Mr.  Harris,  then  Mr.  Gordon 
and  his  wife,  and  now  they  had  cruelly  slain  my  own 
Misi,  and  still  their  bad  work  went  on.  They  said  we 
were  '  women '.  We  showed  them  that  we  were  men 
as  well  as  Christians,  and  that  we  would  defend  our 
friends  and  ourselves  against  their  cruelties.  When  we 
returned  to  Umbongkora,  the  people  ^/ere  still  gathered 
together,  and  Soso  at  their  head.  We  kept  watch  every 
night  within  the  stockade,  and  we  had  long  talks  to- 
gether. Some  wished  to  ask  the  missionaries  to  take 
us  away  in  the  Dayspring,  and  put  us  on  an  island 
where  we  might  worship  without  fear  and  in  peace. 
But  others  of  us  were  against  this.  We  said,  '  What  is 
this  word — that  the  missionaries  take  us  away  ?  Who 
can  tell  when  we  can  return  to  this  island  and  when  we 
can  have  peace }  If  God  be  for  us  He  will  protect  us, 
and  will  be  with  us  here  in  our  own  land  and  not  in  the 
land  of  the  stranger.' " 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS. 

Up  to  this  point,  Erromanga's  story  has  been  given  from 
the  standpoint  of  an  onlooker,  but  I  have  now  to  in- 
troduce myself  as  an  actor  in  most  of  the  events ;  for 
more  than  twenty-nine  years  Erromanga  has  been  our 
home,  and  the  story  of  the  island  and  of  our  life  are 
bound  up  inseparably  together. 

In  Canada,  the  news  that  came  from  Mr.  Gordon  at 
his  lonely  post  had  been  such  as  to  cheer  and  encourage 
us,  and  my  preparations  for  mission-work  in  the  New 
Hebrides  had  gone  on.  I  knew  that  the  particular 
station  which  I  should  occupy  would  be  arranged  for  on 
my  arrival.  I  was  licensed  in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Halifax,  on  Friday  morning,  the  nth 
of  August,  1 87 1,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day, 
at  eight  o'clock,  was  ordained  as  a  foreign  missionary, 
and  set  apart  to  the  special  held  of  the  New  Hebrides.  It 
was  an  occasion  I  cannot  easily  forget.  I  had  never 
been  present  at  an  ordination  service  and  had  no  idea 
until  then  of  its  great  solemnity.  Dr.  Grant,  now  of 
Kingston,  set  forth  the  steps  that  led  to  the  ordination ; 
the  Rev.  John  Macmillan  addressed  the  congregation ; 
the  Rev.  John  Campbell  giving  the  charge  to  me.  I 
seemed  to  reahse  in  a  very  special  manner,  at  that  mo- 
ment, what  a  solemn  vow  I  had  taken,  and  the  sacred 
trust  that  was  given  to  me  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ. 
A   fortnight  afterwards   I   had   the  privilege   of   being 

(164) 


MRS.   ROBERTSON. 


iParje  164. 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  165 

present  at,  and  of  taking  part  in,  the  ordination  of  my 
life-long  friend,  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Mackenzie,  who,  since 
1872,  has  been  working  on  Efate,  as  devoted  and  suc- 
cessful a  missionary  as  our  Canadian  Church  has  ever 
sent  to  the  foreign  field.  The  service  was  interesting 
in  every  way,  because  of  the  great  occasion  and  also 
for  friendship's  sake.  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  ordained  at 
Green  Hill,  where  Dr.  George  Patterson  was  minister. 

I  had  always  felt  that  a  missionary  should  be  well 
equipped  by  training  for  work  in  a  foreign  field,  and  I 
was  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  he  should  have  a  wife. 
Hence,   while   busily   preparing   myself    in    other   ways, 
I  had  not  left  this  duty  undone.     A  friend  laughingly 
told  me  at  this  time  of  the  man  who  prayed  for  guidance 
in  the  choice  of  a  wife.     "  O   Lord,"  he  thus  prayed, 
"  guide  me  in  this  matter,  and  help  me  to  choose  aright ; 
I  leave  all  in  Thy  hands,  and  will  be  content  with  whom- 
soever Thou  wilt  point  out  to  me  ;  but,  O  Lord,  let  it  be 
Betsy."     I  fancy  my  friend  and  I  were  somewhat  in  the 
same  state  of  mind,  and,  while  professing  that  we  were 
leaving  "  this  matter  "  in  better  hands  than  ours,  were 
at  the  same  time  intent  on  having  the  woman  of  our 
choice.     On  the  6th  of  September,  1871,  Miss  Dawson, 
of  Little  Harbour,  Pictou,  became  my  wife.     This  was 
not  her  good-bye  to  her  parents  and  friends ;    for  we 
visited  her  home  and  mine  shortly  before  we  set  sail  in 
October.     There   were  numberless  meetings  and   fare- 
well services.     The  Rev.  J.  W.  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie  and 
the  Rev.  J.  D.  and  Mrs.  Murray  were  to  leave  for  the 
New  Hebrides  at  the  same  time,  and  at  these  different 
gatherings  we  met   many  friends  whose   thoughts  and 
prayers  were  sure  to  follow  us  to  our  far-off  homes. 
After  visiting  Truro,   Charlotte  Town,   St.  John's,  and 
Halifax,  we  spent  the  remainder  of  our  time  with  Mrs. 
Robertson's  and  my  own  friends.     I  recall  the  sorrowful 


i66  ERROMANGA 

parting  with  my  father ;  how  much  we  both  felt  it  ? 
My  mother  had  died  shortly  before,  and  the  double 
grief  seemed  almost  too  much  for  him.  After  I  had  left 
him,  I  turned  and  saw  him  standing  alone,  and  felt  that 
I  musl  go  back  to  say  a  last  good-bye.  I  am  always 
glad  that  I  did  so,  for  I  never  saw  my  father  again. 
A  few  days  later  I  said  good-bye  to  a  much-loved  elder 
brother,  one  who  had  exercised  a  strong  influence  over 
me  in  my  young  life,  and  who  had  been  adviser  as  well 
as  companion  and  friend.  He  rejoiced  in  my  decision 
to  become  a  missionary,  and  to  his  loving  words  in 
parting  added :  "  Many  .  .  .  have  desired  to  see  those 
things  which  ye  see,  and  have  not  seen  them  ".  While 
Mrs.  Robertson  was  staying  in  Pictou  and  at  Little 
Harbour,  I  left  for  Arichat,  Cape  Breton,  to  spend  a 
day  or  two  with  another  brother,  whom  I  had  not  seen 
for  eleven  years,  and  his  wife,  whom  I  had  never  met. 
They  were  greatly  disappointed  that  Mrs.  Robertson 
had  not  come  too,  but  felt  with  me  that  it  would  have 
been  unkind  to  take  her  from  her  own  family  at  that 
time.  My  short  stay  at  Arichat  was  a  very  pleasant 
one.  During  that  time  we  had  a  missionary  meeting, 
presided  over  by  the  High  Sheriff,  a  Roman  Catholic 
and  a  very  fine  man.  It  was  at  Arichat,  about  two  weeks 
after  my  own  wedding,  that  I  married  a  couple.  The 
cousin  of  the  bridegroom  happened  to  be  a  fellow- 
student  of  mine,  and,  as  neither  the  bride  nor  bride- 
groom belonged  to  the  place  and  knew  no  clergyman, 
he  suggested  that  I  should  marry  them. 

The  first  of  our  "  farewell "  meetings  was  held  at 
Charlotte  Town,  but  I  was  absent ;  for  a  storm  arose, 
and  boats  could  not  cross  the  straits  from  Pictou,  and 
so  Mr.  Murray  was  the  only  one  of  our  party  present. 
The  next  service  was  at  New  Glasgow — a  fine  meeting, 
and  well  attended.     The  Rev.  Dr.  Roy,  who  was  then  m 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  167 

very  poor  health,  spoke  at  that  meeting,  although  his 
friends  were  anxious  lest  he  should  over-exert  himself. 
He  gave  us  words  that  night  that  will  always  linger 
in  our  memory.  In  speaking  to  the  three  of  us  who 
were  taking  up  mission-work,  he  urged  that  we  be  well 
prepared.  "  You  want  good  constitutions  and  health 
to  carry  on  your  work,  courage,  perseverance  and,  above 
all,  the  grace  of  God  in  your  hearts,  young  men."  The 
following  evening  we  met  again  at  Truro ;  Rev.  Dr. 
M'Culloch  presiding  at  the  missionary  service.  A  splendid 
address  was  given  by  Rev.  Dr.  M'Reagh,  now  Principal  of 
Morin  College,  Quebec.  Leaving  Mrs.  Robertson  with  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  M'Culloch  in  Truro,  I  went  on  to  Halifax,  to 
make  all  arrangements  for  our  passage,  and  then  returned 
for  our  final  leave-taking.  I  cannot  describe  this ;  the 
trial  of  saying  good-bye  was  a  real  one  to  us  both,  and 
very  specially  so  to  my  young  wife,  who  was  leaving 
father,  mother,  friends  and  home,  for  a  far  country  and 
for  strange  and  untried  surroundings.  A  farewell 
meeting  was  held  in  Halifax,  on  23rd  October,  the 
night  before  we  left,  in  St.  Matthew's  Church,  Dr.  Grant 
then  being  the  minister.  The  steamer  should  have  been 
in  that  night,  but  did  not  appear  till  twelve  o'clock  the 
next  day,  sailing  again  an  hour  later.  A  number  of 
friends  came  to  see  us  off,  among  others  a  brother  and 
a  sister  of  Mrs.  Copeland  of  Futuna.  Two  of  Mrs. 
Robertson's  brothers  were  also  present,  and  the  parting 
was  a  very  painful  one  to  them.  Hearing  that  we  were 
not  leaving  quite  so  soon  as  was  at  first  expected,  I 
followed  one  of  them,  as  he  was  stepping  on  to  the 
wharf,  suggesting  that  they  should  return  for  a  little. 
"  No ;  I  have  already  said  good-bye,"  he  replied,  "  and 
could  not  bear  to  go  back."  Mrs.  Robertson  told  me 
afterwards  that,  at  one  time,  when  she  could  scarcely 
restrain  her  feelings,  a  kind  but  injudicious  lady  came 


i68  ERROMANGA 

up  to  her  saying,  "  And  how  do  you  feel  now,  my  dear  ?  " 
Needless  to  say  there  was  no  answer.  Just  before  the 
lines  were  cast  off.  Rev.  Dr.  Fraser  Campbell  gave  out 
the  hymn  "  B'cst  be  the  tie  that  binds,"  and  Dr.  Grant 
commended  us  to  God's  loving  care  in  a  few  earnest, 
heartfelt  words.  We  silently  shook  hands  with  friends 
who  were  leaving  the  ship's  deck,  and  we  realised,  as 
we  were  left  alone  and  the  Peruvian  began  to  move 
slowly  from  her  moorings,  that  we  were  leaving  home, 
and  that  the  dear  faces  that  were  fast  disappearing  from 
our  sight  might  perhaps  never  be  seen  by  us  again. 

We  had  a  pleasant  run  to  Liverpool,  and,  as  we  were 
both  good  sailors,  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  were  able  to 
enjoy  the  sea  trip.  We  made  one  very  interesting 
acquaintance  on  the  old  Peruvian,  an  acquaintance  that 
became  a  life-long  friendship.  On  our  second  day  out, 
a  gentleman  offered  to  take  Mrs.  Robertson  for  a  walk 
on  deck,  and,  when  I  thanked  him  for  his  kindness,  I 
found  that  our  new  friend  was  Mr.  Hugh  Barnett,  of 
Glasgow.  As  we,  too,  were  bound  for  that  city,  we 
looked  forward  to  a  renewal  of  the  acquaintance.  How 
little  we  knew  then  what  a  friend  he  was  to  prove,  both 
to  ourselves  and  to  our  Erromangan  people!  While 
in  Liverpool  we  made  arrangements  for  our  passage  to 
Melbourne  in  the  Great  Britain,  Captain  Gray,  R.N.R., 
and,  as  soon  as  that  was  secured,  went  on  to  Glasgow, 
Mr.  and  Mrs  Mackenzie,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Murray  and  our- 
selves putting  up  at  the  same  hotel,  the  Waverley. 
Our  hrst  morning  in  Glasgow  gave  us  some  idea  of  a 
Scotch  mist,  unless  the  gloom  was  natural  to  the  place. 
1  know  that  I  was  waiting  in  bed  for  daylight,  for  every- 
thing was  as  black  as  Egypt,  thinking  what  strange 
people  the  Glasgow  folk  must  be  to  have  their  milk- 
carts  rattling  along  the  streets  at  midnight.  It  might 
be  all  the  same  for  me,  because  I  could  not  sleep  any- 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  169 

way ;  but  to  think  of  other  respectable  and  law-abiding 
people  having  their  hard-earned  rest  disturbed  by  noises 
at  such  unearthly  hours  of  the  night!  A  loud  rap  at 
the  room  door  startled  me  at  this  point.  "  There's  a 
gentleman  waiting  downstairs  to  see  you,  sir ;  he  has 
been  here  for  some  time."  Hurriedly  strikmg  a  match,  I 
glanced  at  my  watch ;  it  was  ten  d clock.  Dressing  as 
quickly  as  possible,  I  found  on  going  downstairs  that 
our  caller  was  Mr.  Barnett,  who,  no  doubt,  was  thinking, 
"  What  lazy  people  these  Canadians  are  " !  With  Mr. 
Barnett's  help  we  found  good  lodgings  that  morning, 
and  the  same  evening  took  dinner  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Barnett  and  several  friends,  among  them  Mr.  Thomas 
Binnie,  treasurer  of  the  New  Hebrides  Mission  of  the 
Reformed  Presbyterian  Church.  We  also  met  Mr. 
Robertson,  head  of  the  cotton  company  of  which  I 
had  been  agent  on  Aneityum  some  years  previously. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  say  enough  of  the  kindness  of 
the  Barnetts,  or  in  how  many  ways  they  contrived  to 
make  our  stay  in  Glasgow  pleasant. 

We  saw  a  good  deal  of  the  city,  and  intended  to  sail 
down  the  Clyde  one  morning,  but,  after  leaving  the 
house,  found  the  weather  too  much  for  us.  We  had 
to  think  of  some  other  outing,  but  Mr.  Murray  insisted 
that  first  we  should  return  to  the  house  and  have  prayers, 
and  would  not  move  a  step  until  we  did.  We  had  no 
private  sitting-room,  so  had  to  ask  for  one,  and  as  the 
six  of  us  filed  in  the  other  boarders  got  curious  and 
crowded  round.  I  believe  they  thought  there  was  going 
to  be  a  wedding.  The  amusing  part  of  it  was  that 
Mr.  Murray  had  forgotten  all  about  prayers,  until  we 
found  that  a  trip  on  the  Clyde  was  impossible.  After 
a  short  stay  in  Glasgow  we  went  on  to  Edinburgh,  where 
we  spent  a  week.  Whilst  there  I  called  one  evening 
to  see  Dr.  Duff,  the  great  Indian  missionary.     I  waited 


lyo  ERROMANGA 

for  a  few  minutes  in  his  fine  library,  and  then  the 
Doctor  came  in  with  my  card  in  his  hand,  walked  over 
to  the  light  that  he  might  see  my  name,  then  turned, 
and  with  a  warm  grasp  of  the  hand  bade  me  welcome. 
He  was  tall  and  well-built,  with  prominent  features ; 
the  long  white  beard,  iron-grey  bristling  hair,  and 
shaggy  eyebrows  lent  that  appearance  of  strength  and 
determination  which  so  characterised  the  man.  His  was 
essentially  a  strong  face.  I  had  the  rare  privilege  of 
listening  to  his  graphic  and  thrilling  accounts  of  his  life- 
work  in  India,  and  his  eyes  filled  with  tenderness  when 
he  found  that  I  had  given  myself  to  the  missionary  cause. 
He  laid  great  stress  on  the  importance  of  keeping  in 
good  health,  for  good  work  could  not  be  done  otherwise. 
"  Do  not  make  the  mistake,"  he  said,  "  of  doing  your 
travelling  in  the  early  morning ;  there  is  far  too  much 
moisture  then  ;  most  people  fall  into  that  error ;  do  your 
journeying  towards  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  you  will 
find  that  you  keep  in  better  health." 

In  Glasgow,  after  hearing  him  speak  in  public,  Mr. 
Murray,  Mr.  Mackenzie  and  I  had  called  on  Dr.  Norman 
Macleod,  and  we  enjoyed  very  much  the  short  time 
spent  in  conversation  with  him.  After  one  week  in 
Edinburgh,  a  short  stay  was  again  made  in  Glasgow, 
and,  as  our  time  was  now  so  very  limited,  we  crowded 
as  many  meetings  and  visits  into  each  day  as  we  possibly 
could.  Shortly  before  leaving,  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I 
decided  to  visit  Blair  Athol,  the  birthplace  of  my  father's 
mother.  How  we  enjoyed  the  drive  in  the  early  morn- 
ing across  the  battle-field  there !  the  rush  of  trains  sweep- 
ing round  hills  and  through  valleys  and  over  great  iron 
bridges,  and,  above  all,  the  grand  and  wonderful  scenery 
of  the  Pass  of  Killiecrankie. 

On  one  of  our  last  evenings  in  Glasgow  a  valedictory 
meeting,    kindly   arranged   by   the    Committee    of   the 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  171 

Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  was  held.  Rev.  Dr. 
Symington  presided,  and  there  were  addresses  from 
Prof.  Binnie,  Mr.  Taylor,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  of  Grey- 
friars  Church,  and  lastly  from  Mr.  Findlay.  He  was  in 
very  poor  health,  and  his  daughters  begged  him,  before 
we  reached  the  church,  not  to  speak.  But  Mr.  Findlay 
was  not  going  to  make  any  rash  promises,  and  towards 
the  close  of  the  evening  we  heard  that  Mr.  Binnie,  the 
then  secretary,  was  anxious  for  his  predecessor  in  office 
to  give  the  final  address.  I  remember  the  quick,  spirited 
speech ;  his  hands  diving  into  the  depths  of  a  great 
pocket  and  out  again,  while  he  spoke  to  the  people 
and  then  to  us  of  the  work  which  we  were  undertaking. 
He  made  mention  of  Mr.  Barnett,  the  indefatigable 
friend  who  had  done  so  much  to  make  our  stay  pleasant, 
and  who,  though  belonging  to  another  branch  of  the 
Church — the  United  Presbyterian — had  been  one  of  the 
moving  spirits  in  arranging  this  valedictory.  Then,  as 
Mr.  Findlay  went  on  to  make  reference  to  the  Mission 
again  and  to  our  Saviour's  words  in  sending  forth  His 
disciples,  down  went  the  hands  into  the  capacious 
pockets.  "  When  I  sent  you  forth  without  purse  and 
wallet  and  shoes,  lacked  ye  anything  ?  .  .  .  But  now  " 
(throwing  three  black  purses  on  the  table  in  front  of  us), 
"  he  that  hath  a  purse,  let  him  tak'  it."  In  speaking  of 
this  valedictory,  I  would  lay  special  stress  on  the  fact 
that  we  were  being  shown  this  kindness  by  those  who 
were  comparative  strangers.  Mr.  Murray,  Mr.  Mac- 
kenzie and  I  were  all  from  the  Canadian  Church,  and 
we  had  no  claim  whatever  on  our  Scotch  friends.  Their 
kindness  throughout  our  stay,  and  sympathy  with  us  in 
our  destined  work,  was  a  very  pleasing  feature  of  our 
visit  to  the  great  cities  of  Scotland. 

After  a  brief  visit  to  London  we  returned  to  Liver- 
pool, and  in  December  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I,  with  Mr. 


172  ERROMANGA 

and  Mrs.  Mackenzie,  sailed  for  Australia  in  the  Great 
Britain.  Sad  to  relate,  our  last  act  in  Liverpool  was  a 
"  difference  "  with  a  cabman.  We  had  hurried  down  to 
catch  our  steamer,  had  stepped  out  of  the  cab,  and  were 
walking  briskly  along  when  we  heard  a  loud  call  from 
our  cabby.  Hey !  there's  a  square  of  glass  broken  in 
this  window,  and  you  will  have  to  pay  for  it."  "  Rub- 
bish!" we  retorted  ;  "  we  saw  that  broken  glass  when  we 
got  into  the  cab."  "Oh,  honour  bright,  gentlemen!" 
he  replied ;  "  you  broke  the  glass,  and  I  must  have  the 
money."  We  were  anxious  to  settle  the  matter  and 
get  to  our  boat.  "  Very  well,"  said  Mackenzie ;  "  you 
wait  here,  and  when  we  come  back  we  will  pay  you." 

That  was  Saturday  night,  and  on  Sunday  we  sailed, 
everything  seeming  to  promise  well.  On  Sunday  night 
a  fearful  storm  came  on,  and  raged  till  morning ;  but 
so  steady  was  the  ship  throughout  that  some  of  the 
passengers  knew  nothing  of  it  till  all  was  over.  The 
Great  Britain,  though  only  an  auxiliary  steamer,  was 
at  that  time  one  of  the  best  boats  running  between 
Liverpool  and  Melbourne.  Speaking  for  ourselves,  I 
must  say  that  we  have  never  travelled  in  a  more  comfort- 
able ship.  Certainly  we  slept  soundly  enough  through 
that  storm.  On  our  waking  the  next  morning,  every- 
thing seemed  strangely  still,  and  what  was  our  surprise 
to  find  that  we  were  at  anchor  off  Holyhead!  The 
captain  had  been  obliged  to  run  there  for  shelter.  So 
disastrous  had  been  the  storm  that  a  large  white 
steamer  that  left  Liverpool  for  Ireland  an  hour  before 
us,  with  all  her  passengers  and  crew,  was  never  heard 
of  again.  We  made  a  fresh  start  the  following  day, 
and,  as  the  bad  weather  still  kept  on,  did  not  see  Capt. 
Gray  for  two  days.  We  could  not  have  had  a  kinder  or 
a  more  agreeable  captain  to  travel  with,  and  on  that, 
his  last  trip,  he  seemed  to  outdo  himself  in  seeing  to  the 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  173 

comfort  and  entertainment  of  his  passengers.  Mr. 
Mackenzie  and  I  were  standing  on  deck  together  when 
he  first  spoke  to  us. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  hope  we  shall  have  a 
very  pleasant  voyage ;  you  are  the  only  clergymen  on 
board,  I  understand,  but,  as  you  know,  this  is  an  English 
ship  and  I  myself  conduct  Episcopal  service  on  Sundays. 
However,  at  any  other  time  and  on  any  day  that  you 
arrange  a  service,  if  the  weather  is  fit,  I  am  ready  to  give 
you  every  help." 

This  was  more  than  we  expected,  and  we  thanked  the 
captain  heartily.  Mr.  Mackenzie  and  I  took  turns  in 
conducting  Sunday  services,  and,  ably  helped  by  fellow 
passengers,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen,  we  used  to  have 
a  Sunday  school  for  the  children.  Bible  classes  were 
also  well  attended.  The  captain  and  his  officers  could 
not  have  been  more  courteous  or  helpful,  and  on  all  sides 
our  way  was  made  pleasant.  There  were  many  amuse- 
ments, too,  and  one  very  hot  evening — too  hot  even 
for  the  usual  dancing-parties — we  arranged  a  lecture, 
the  captain  being  chairman,  while  I  gave  a  short  account 
of  the  islands  to  which  we  were  going.  A  very  sad 
accident  took  place  one  day.  Two  apprentice  boys  had 
been  told  to  go  up  and  take  in  the  "  royals,"  and  one  of 
them,  poor  boy,  was  struck  with  the  flap  of  the  sail,  and, 
losing  his  balance,  fell  backward  from  the  dizzy  height. 
"  He  was  dead  before  he  reached  the  deck,"  we  were 
told  by  the  doctor.  This  cast  a  great  gloom  over  the 
ship,  and  Captain  Gray  felt  it  keenly.  He  had  been 
thirty  years  at  sea,  and  this  was  the  first  time  that  a  life 
had  been  lost  on  his  ship  through  accident.  The  boat- 
swain on  board  was  the  lad's  stepfather,  and,  on  the  day 
of  the  funeral,  the  passengers,  understanding  that  the 
family  was  poor,  gave  him  a  purse  of  money  to  take 
to  the  poor  mother  at  hoice  who  would  never  see  her 


174  ERROMANGA 

boy  again.  What  a  shock  a  sudden  and  fatal  accident 
Hke  this  gives,  especially  if  it  happens  before  one's  eyes ! 
Our  passage  took  sixty  days,  and  we  were  fortunate 
in  having  fairly  good  weather  throughout.  We  had 
been  a  month  at  sea  when,  one  day  as  we  were  sitting 
at  lunch,  there  was  a  great  commotion  on  deck.  We  knew 
that  it  could  be  nothing  unpleasant  by  the  look  of 
amusement  on  the  captain's  face,  as  he  reached  for  his 
cap  and  hurried  on  deck.  Of  course  the  passengers 
did  not  take  long  to  follow,  and  we  found  on  arriving 
there  a  colony  of  strange  faces  and  characters  in  pos- 
session. Two  big  London  policemen,  batons  in  hand, 
were  walking  with  the  utmost  dignity,  one  on  each  side 
of  a  large,  wooden  horse,  lifelike  in  its  appearance,  and 
gorgeously  harnessed.  Its  rider  was  as  grave  as  the 
guarding  policemen,  and  took  no  notice  whatever  of  the 
comments  and  criticisms  made  by  the  passengers.  A 
band  played,  and  everywhere  were  vendors,  hurrying 
round  with  their  wares,  dressed  in  all  kinds  of  curious 
costumes,  and  pressing  us  to  buy.  One  man  in  par- 
ticular, in  the  character  of  an  American  quack  doctor, 
ran  a  brisk  trade.  He  had  medicines  by  the  dozen  in 
bottles ;  they  would  cure  deafness,  insanity,  love,  sea- 
sickness, every  ailment  under  the  sun.  We  bought  the 
medicines,  and  laughed  heartily  at  the  directions  written 
on  the  labels.  I  saw  a  black  woman,  the  perfect  image 
of  an  old  Erromangan  who  had  lived  for  some  time  on 
Aneityum,  and  pointed  out  the  character  to  Mrs.  Robert- 
son. There  was  the  same  little  black  head,  and  the 
bent  figure  hobbling  along  ;  it  seemed  to  be  Navusia 
herself.  By  the  time  the  vendors  had  disposed  of  most 
of  their  wares,  and  the  different  characters  had  paraded 
the  deck,  every  one  of  them  drew  up  in  line  and  the 
closing  event  took  place.  The  horse  had  been  wheeled 
three  times  along  the  poop,  and  was  now  drawn  up  by 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  175 

blocks  below  the  yard-arm  and  hooked  to  it  by  a  ring 
in  the  saddle.  As  it  hung  in  space,  the  rider  deftly  cut 
away  the  trappings,  and  the  great  horse  fell  with  a 
tremendous  thud  into  the  sea,  about  sixty  feet  below. 
How  those  men  cheered !  We  were  told  that  when 
leaving  Liverpool  they  were  advanced  a  month's  wages, 
so  that  they  were  only  this  day  starting  to  earn  fresh 
wages,  and  the  "  dead  horse  "  had  to  be  cut  adrift  as 
they  began  the  new  month.  They  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
entertainment  themselves,  and  it  certainly  made  good 
fun  for  the  passengers. 

On  reaching  Melbourne,  we  found  the  Dayspring 
there,  and  heard  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Murray  were  in 
Geelong.  They  had  preceded  us  by  another  vessel. 
We  went  straight  to  Tancred's  Hotel,  in  Latrobe  Street, 
and,  as  an  experienced  man,  I  cautioned  the  ladies  and 
Mr.  Mackenzie  not  to  eat  heartily  of  fresh  vegetables 
just  after  a  long  sea  trip.  The  next  morning  I  was 
the  only  one  sick !  Captain  Eraser  was  our  first  caller, 
and  how  glad  I  was  to  see  him  again.  He  had  made  his 
last  trip  to  the  islands,  and  now,  much  to  the  regret  of 
the  missionaries,  was  returning  home.  Later  on  in  the 
morning,  among  others  there  came  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Inglis, 
of  Aneityum,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson,  of  West 
Melbourne.  During  the  remainder  of  our  stay,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Mackenzie  were  the  guests  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Robertson,  while  my  wife  and  I  made  our  home  with 
our  kind  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Smith,  now  of 
Sydney. 

The  heat  in  Melbourne  was  then  overpowering.  I 
had  been  twice  up  the  country  taking  services ;  the 
second  time,  I  returned  in  the  great  heat  after  a  hurried 
ride  to  the  railway  station,  on  an  old  horse,  too,  which 
would  neither  gee  nor  haw.  I  felt  wretched  when  I 
reached   Mr.    Smith's   house.     I   was   very   thirsty,   but 


176  ERROMANGA 

had  only  time  to  take  a  glass  of  water  before  hurr)'ing 
off  to  the  Daysfring  to  see  Captain  Ray,  who  had 
taken  Captain  Eraser's  place.  As  ill-luck  would  have 
it,  he  and  the  officers  were  just  sitting  down  to  lunch — 
fresh  island  pork — and  I  joined  them.  That  was  towards 
the  end  of  the  week,  and  on  Saturday  Lathella,  the  High 
Chief  of  Aneityum,  who  was  again  visiting  Melbourne, 
came  to  see  us,  and,  as  he  could  not  find  his  way  back 
to  the  railway  station,  I  went  with  him.  I  could  not 
understand  why  I  should  be  so  thirsty,  and  I  thought 
the  great  heat  must  be  the  cause  of  it.  On  Sunday 
evening  I  was  to  take  a  service  at  Carlton,  and  in  the 
forenoon  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  proceeded  to  hear  Rev. 
Dr.  Menzies.  We  went  early  to  get  a  good  seat,  and 
who  should  walk  slowly  up  the  pulpit  stairs  but  our 
Mr.  Inglis  himself.  His  sermon,  or  rather  address  on  his 
past  missionary  work  was — well,  not  short,  and  though, 
ordinarily,  it  was  a  treat  to  me  to  listen  to  his  carefully 
prepared  words,  I  was  not  much  in  the  mood  that  day 
for  them.  Everything  was  very  true  and  very  good, 
but  I  had  heard  it  all  before.  That  night  my  own 
address  had  to  be  considerably  shortened,  and  about 
eleven  o'clock  Mr.  Smith  hurried  off  to  get  medical 
advice  for  me.  Eor  eleven  days  my  life  trembled  in  the 
balance ;  it  was  dysentery  in  an  acute  form.  By  God's 
blessing  on  the  skill  and  attention  of  Dr.  Macmillan, 
the  marvellous  kindness  of  our  host  and  hostess,  and 
the  loving  solicitude  of  my  own  splendid  nurse,  my  wife, 
I  pulled  through.  It  was  Mrs.  Robertson's  first  ex- 
perience in  nursing,  and  her  calmness  and  patience  in 
caring  for  me  were  just  what  was  needed.  And  she  has 
often  said  that  she  could  have  done  little  without  dear 
Mrs.  Smith,  and  that  never  since  she  had  left  her  mother 
had  she  felt  so  much  at  home  as  with  her.     Mr.  and 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  177 

Mrs.  Smith's  kindness  to  us  both  at  that  time  touched 
us  very  much. 

Poor  Lathella  was  much  distressed  when  he  heard 
of  my  illness,  and  offered  to  help  Mrs.  Robertson  in  any 
way.  She  asked  him  to  go  with  her  to  the  Days-pring 
to  see  that  our  boxes  were  all  put  on  board.  It  was 
Rev.  Dr.  Macdonald  of  Emerald  Hill  who  brought  my 
wife  home  again,  and  cheered  us  all  by  his  brightness 
and  sympathy.  On  Dr.  Macmillan's  last  visit  I  tried, 
very  feebly  I  am  afraid,  to  express  my  gratitude  for  his 
constant  care  and  kindness.  When  I  asked  him  what 
was  due  to  him  for  his  medical  attendance,  he  replied, 
"  Nothing ;  nothing,  my  friend.  I  only  ask  that  you 
remember  me  when  you  kneel  in  prayer  to  the  Great 
Physician  above." 

The  time  had  now  come  for  sailing  to  our  future 
home  and  work,  and  the  little  Dayspring  had  a  large 
number  of  passengers — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Inglis,  Dr.  Geddie, 
Miss  Geddie  and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Neilson,  with  her 
children,  the  Rev.  D.  Macdonald,  who  was  the  new 
missionary  from  Victoria,  Mr.  Fred.  Campbell,  of  Gee- 
long,  besides  the  three  Canadians,  Murray,  Mackenzie 
and  myself,  with  our  wives.  Last,  but  not  least  (I  sup- 
pose it  will  be  wise  to  say  this),  there  was  Master  George 
Murray,  aged  three  weeks.  Miss  Geddie  was  only 
going  as  far  as  to  the  Heads,  but,  Mr.  Macdonald  having 
persuaded  her  to  go  a  little  further,  we  knew,  before 
we  left  Melbourne,  that  a  wedding  was  to  take  place 
when  Aneityum  was  reached.  Dr.  Geddie  was  in  very 
poor  health,  seemed  thoroughly  worn  out,  but  none  of 
us  thought  how  soon  he  was  to  be  taken  from  us.  It 
was  hoped  that  the  trip  to  the  islands  would  renew  his 
health.  I  need  not  enter  into  a  description  of  our 
voyage  ;  with  such  a  number  of  passengers  we  found  it 


178  ERROMANGA 

difficult  to  stow  ourselves  away,  yet  it  was  wonderful 
how  comfortable  the  vessel  was.  She  had  a  very  cosy 
cabin,  with  deep  lounges,  and  many  a  good  rest  have 
I  had  on  them. 

We  arrived  at  Aneityum  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1872 
— a  lovely  morning — and  the  newcomers  enjoyed  to  the 
full  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  harbour.  And  Aneit- 
yum had  then,  and  still  has,  the  old  happy  associations 
for  me.  Almost  as  soon  as  we  cast  anchor,  Mr  Under- 
wood's boat  shot  out  from  one  of  the  little  islands.  He 
was  soon  on  board,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Inglis  were  the 
first  to  meet  him.  In  a  second  or  two  Mrs.  Inglis  turned 
to  us ;  we  knew  at  once  that  there  was  bad  news  from 
her  grief-stricken  face.  "  TJte  savages  of  Erromanga 
have  killed  James  Gordon ! "  What  a  terrible  shock 
this  was  to  us  all !  poor,  poor  Gordon !  The  news, 
coming  so  suddenly  on  our  arrival,  stunned  us.  We 
heard  the  full  particulars  of  his  tragic  death  later  on. 
I  had  lost  a  very  dear  friend,  one  whom  I  had  always 
loved  and  respected,  and  whom  I  fully  expected  to 
meet  again  on  the  islands.  Soon  after  this  news  came, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Inglis  left  in  their  boat  for  Aname.  Just 
as  they  were  going,  I  slipped  a  note  into  Mr.  Inglis's 
hand,  telling  him  that  I  would  like  to  take  Gordon's 
place  on  Erromanga,  if  he  and  the  other  missionaries 
were  willing  that  I  should  settle  there. 

That  was  on  Wednesday,  and  on  Saturday  afternoon 
Mr,  Macdonald  and  Miss  Geddie  were  married  in  the  old 
stone  church  at  Anelcauhat,  built  by  Dr.  Geddie.  Mr. 
Murray  performed  the  ceremony,  and  a  large  crowd  of 
spectators,  white  and  black,  thronged  the  building.  Of 
course  this  was  a  specially  interesting  event  to  the 
people  of  the  island.  It  was  not  the  first  wedding  of 
white  people  there,  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copeland's  had 
taken   place  some   years   previously,   but   Miss   Geddie 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  179 

was  island-born — the  first  white  child  born  on  Aneit- 
yum,  and  the  people  of  Aneityum  claimed  her  as  their 
very  own.  We  have  often  been  struck  with  the  hearty 
welcome  that  both  Mrs.  Neilson  and  Mrs.  Macdonald 
always  received  when  visiting  Aneityum  and  seeing  the 
old  friends  there.  But,  to  return  to  the  wedding,  every- 
thing passed  off  well.  In  lieu  of  the  wedding-cake 
there  was  a  huge  kalathakawan — a  delicious  native 
pudding — the  dish  of  Aneityum.  I  can't  answer  for 
the  others,  but  I,  for  one,  thoroughly  enjoyed  Mrs. 
Macdonald's  "  wedding-cake ".  The  Aneityumese  can 
make  good  food.  Mr.  Cronstedt  and  Mr.  Underwood 
were  both  invited,  and  were  present. 

The  following  day  Dr.  Geddie  conducted  the  native 
service,  Mr.  Macdonald  preaching  in  English  in  the 
evening.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Murray  were  now  the  mission- 
aries of  Anelcauhat,  and  they  at  once  took  up  their 
abode  in  the  mission-house.  Dr.  Geddie  had  already 
resigned,  and  this  was  his  farewell  visit  to  the  scene  of 
his  life-work.  1 

That  night  we  again  went  on  board  the  Dayspring, 
and  on  Monday  morning  sailed  round  to  Aname.  There 
we  left  Mrs.  Mackenzie  as  Mrs.  Inglis's  guest  till  our 
return  from  the  north.  Our  next  stoppage  was  at 
Futuna.  We  reached  the  island  early  on  Tuesday 
morning,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Copeland  was  soon  on  board, 
coming  from  the  shore  in  a  canoe.  Just  as  our  boat 
was  leaving  the  side,  she  very  nearly  swamped,  owing 
to  so  many  canoes  being  fastened  round  the  ship's 
quarter.  The  quickness  and  dexterity  of  the  chief 
officer  in  cutting  the  painter  alone  prevented  an  accident. 
Mrs.  Robertson  had  her  first  experience  of  savages  at 
Futuna.  But  they  did  not  seem  to  trouble  her  much 
with  timidity.  We  struck  on  the  reef  going  in,  and 
Mrs.  Robertson  was  one  of  the  first  to  scramble  into  a 


i8o  ERROMANGA 

canoe,  wherein  was  a  Futunese  dandy  attired  in  nothing 
but  his  birthday  suit!  Crowds  of  natives  were  on  the 
shore,  and  we  bought  numbers  of  native  curios.  "  Bring 
everything  you  buy  up  to  the  house,  or  you  will  never 
see  them  again,"  said  Mr.  Copeland  in  warning  to  us. 
Futuna  itself  is  just  a  rock  of  the  ocean,  very  precipitous 
and  rising  to  a  height  of  about  2,000  ft.  The  landing 
was  near  the  mission-house,  close  by  Copeland's  Peak. 
The  road  up  to  it  was  very  steep,  skirting  the  brow  of 
the  hill.  A  person  venturing  a  walk  on  Futuna  needs 
to  be  very  sure-footed.  The  Copelands'  picturesque 
home  soon  came  in  sight ;  it  was  the  first  house  in  the 
New  Hebrides  to  have  an  upper  storey.  The  roof  was 
thatched,  and  the  walls  plastered  inside  and  out.  We 
were  sorry  to  see  Mrs.  Copeland  looking  far  from  well. 
Notwithstanding  her  ill-health,  she  made  our  stay  very 
pleasant,  and  a  most  enjoyable  day  was  spent  on  shore. 
At  Aniwa  we  received  a  warm  welcome  from  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Paton.  Aniwa  is  a  small  coral  island  about  six 
miles  in  length,  its  highest  peak  being  a  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  There  is  no  harbour  or  bay, 
but  a  boat-landing,  which  is  good  enough  in  ordinary 
weather.  We  passed  up  the  broad,  winding  path,  with 
tall  cocoanut  palms  on  either  side,  the  long  leaves 
^almost  meeting  above  us,  till  we  reached  the  house. 
It  was  like  that  of  the  Copelands,  though  much  longer 
— the  characteristic  old,  rambling  island  home,  with  low 
thatched  roof.  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  were  charmed 
with  the  garden ;  the  flowering  shrubs,  both  English  and 
native,  were  in  such  profusion.  That  was  the  first  place 
I  noticed  a  picket  fence ;  being  painted  white,  it  looked 
very  well.  Mr.  Paton  told  me  that  the  timber  of  it 
had  been  presented  by  Dr.  Lang's  congregation  in 
Sydney.  We  could  only  stay  a  very  short  time  on  shore, 
and  soon  the  Dayspring  had  left  Aniwa,  and  we  were 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  i8i 

on  our  way  to  Tanna.  There,  Kwamera  was  our  first 
port  of  call,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Watt  soon  came  off  in  his 
boat.  He  kindly  invited  us  all  on  shore,  and  we  should 
have  liked  to  go,  but  the  captain  was  anxious  to  press 
on  to  Port  Resolution  of  Tanna.  In  the  morning  we 
arrived  there.  Mr.  Neilson  looked  very  well,  and  in 
good  spirits ;  we  were  pleased  to  see  him  so  cheery. 
His  wife  was  on  board  with  us,  so  that  he  was  just  as 
delighted  to  see  us.  Mrs.  Neilson  had  told  her  sister, 
the  bride,  to  stay  in  her  cabin,  and,  after  every  one 
had  been  welcomed,  she  said  to  her  husband :  "  Come 
downstairs,  and  let  me  introduce  you  to  Mrs.  Mac- 
donald ".  Mr.  Neilson  followed  her,  looking  very 
dignified,  and  whom  did  he  see  on  reaching  the  saloon 
— he  saw  his  own  sister-in-law !  Mrs.  Neilson  enjoyed 
immensely  the  surprise  she  had  planned  for  him.  We 
all  landed  and  had  a  delightful  stay  ashore.  Mr.  Neil- 
son had  been  very  busy  working  at  his  new  weather- 
boarded  house,  and  had  just  finished  it  in  time  for  Mrs. 
Neilson's  return.  He  had  covered  with  rOugh  wood 
the  ceiUng  of  the  dining-room.  He  seemed  rather 
pleased  with  himself  about  that  room,  and  we  were 
all  brought  in  to  admire  it.  But  Mrs.  Neilson  gave  the 
roof  one  glance,  and  "  I  will  soon  have  those  ugly 
boards  out  of  that "  was  her  comment.  We  went  for  a 
stroll  along  the  beach,  and  visited  the  graves  of  Mrs. 
Paton  and  Mr.  Johnston.  There  are  some  very  pretty 
spots  about  Port  Resolution,  such  as  the  flat-land  on 
the  brow  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  harbour.  Mrs. 
Macdonald  purposed  to  stay  with  her  sister  until  the 
Daysprings  return,  so  that  when  we  left  Port  Resolu- 
tion Mrs.  Robertson  was  the  only  lady  on  board. 

Our  next  call  was  at  Black  Beach.  Dr.  Geddie 
wanted  to  see  a  man  named  John  Pata,  who  was  living 
there.     He  was  a  Christian,  having  been  converted  by 


i82  ERROMANGA 

the  Wesleyan  missionaries  in  Fiji.  As  we  pulled  in  to 
the  shore,  we  caught  sight  of  a  number  of  natives,  and 
one  of  them  was  waving  to  us.  He  soon  jumped  into 
the  sea  and  swam  off,  and  proved  to  be  the  very  man 
that  Dr.  Geddie  wanted.  He  told  us  that  he  had  been 
trying  to  do  his  best  to  live  a  Christian  life  and  to  lead 
others  to  Jesus ;  he  had  gathered  the  people  together 
and  prayed  with  them,  and  he  was  very  eager  to  have 
a  missionary.  He  was  a  bright,  pleasant-looking  man, 
and  delighted  us  with  his  evident  sincerity.  Dr.  Geddie 
promised  that  we  should  do  our  best  to  place  a  mis- 
sionary with  them,  and  seemed  very  much  cheered  by 
this  bright  incident. 

It  was  Saturday  evening  when  we  left  Black  Beach, 
and  on  Sunday  morning  about  nine  o'clock  we  cast 
anchor  in  Dillon's  Bay,  Erromanga.  We  all  went  on 
shore  in  the  ship's  boat,  and  found  the  natives  just 
coming  out  of  church.  There  were  very  few  of  them ; 
poor  people!  they  had  had  much  to  dishearten  them, 
but  had  held  firmly  to  their  faith.  We  landed  at  the 
great  banyan  tree  which  overhangs  the  river  at  the 
spot  where  the  old  mission-house  stood.  Mrs.  Robert- 
son sat  down  on  a  root  of  the  tree,  and  the  people  came 
round  and  shook  hands  with  us.  Poor  old  Navusia, 
Yomot's  wife,  who  could  talk  Aneityumese,  tried  to  tell 
us  of  Mr.  Gordon's  death,  and  broke  down,  sobbing. 
"  Ah,  Mist,"  she  said,  "  //zese  people  are  heathen, 
heathen  V^  Dr.  Geddie  spoke  a  few  words,  through  an 
interpreter,  to  the  Christian  people  around  us.  He 
asked  them  if  they  were  able  to  hold  fast  to  their  faith. 
Kamfaneteme,  '  we  are  able,'  was  the  immediate  reply. 
Neither  my  wife  nor  I  was  much  taken  with  the  place ; 
everything  seemed  so  gloomy ;  and,  though  the  valley 
was  looking  its  loveliest  and  the  day  was  perfect,  the 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  183 

horror  of  what  had  so  shortly  before  taken  place  seemed 
to  shut  out  all  else.     Poor,  dear  Gordon! 

We  went  off  to  the  Dayspring,  but  soon  landed  again, 
this  time  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Mr.  Gray, 
one  of  the  traders  settled  there,  went  with  us  to  see 
the  graves  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Gordon  and  Mr. 
Macnair.  While  the  others  went  on  up  the  bank  of  the 
river  to  see  the  rock  on  which  Williams  was  measured 
(see  Chap,  iii.),  my  wife  and  I  turned  back  and  crossed 
the  river  again.  We  walked  up  to  the  church,  and  found 
the  natives,  perhaps  forty  of  them,  already  there.  Soso, 
Mr.  Gordon's  chief  teacher,  conducted  the  service,  and 
all  listened  quietly  and  attentively.  It  was  in  an  un- 
known tongue  to  two  of  us,  but  we  felt  the  sacredness 
of  the  day  and  place,  the  service  made  doubly  solemn 
by  thoughts  of  the  man  who  had  brought  these  very 
worshippers  to  a  knowledge  of  God  and  His  love.  In 
the  evening  we  went  back  to  the  ship,  and  some  native 
boys  went  off  with  us.  I  tried  to  talk  to  two  of  these 
little  fellows,  whose  names,  they  said,  were  Nelat  and 
Naiyup.  These  very  boys,  years  after,  became  teachers, 
and  were  a  great  help  to  me  in  my  work.  Soso  was 
also  on  board  the  Dayspring,  and  we  all  talked  with 
him  for  some  time.  On  the  following  day,  early,  we 
set  sail  for  Efate,  reaching  Fila  harbour  about  two 
o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning. 

The  next  day  we  started  on  foot  for  Erakor. 
Captain  Ray  did  not  want  Mrs.  Robertson  to  go,  was 
afraid  she  would  be  tired  out,  but  she  had  already  de- 
cided to  go,  and  "  when  a  woman  says  she  will,  she 
will ".  The  amusing  part  of  it  was  that,  when  the  poor 
captain  was  tired  and  almost  done  out,  she  was  feeling 
as  fresh  as  when  we  started.  After  the  walk  we  were 
met  by  canoes  and  paddled  up  the  lovely  lagoon  to 
Erakor.     The  scenery  there  is  very  beautiful ;   there  is 


i84  ERROMANGA 

something  so  picturesque  about  the  clear,  pale-green 
water,  with  masses  of  coral  away  down  in  its  depths, 
the  soft  ripple  of  the  canoe  as  it  glides  along 
to  the  tiny  island  of  Erakor,  with  its  glistening,  sandy 
beach,  and  the  background  of  cocoanut  palms  and  dense 
vegetation  on  the  mainland.  We  thought  we  had  seen 
nothing  prettier.  The  mission-house  where  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Morrison  had  lived  looked  wonderfully  neat  and 
clean.  We  were  at  Havannah  Harbour  for  a  night 
and  part  of  the  following  day,  and  on  Wednesday  after- 
noon left  for  Nguna,  but  too  late  to  reach  the  island 
before  dark.  In  trying  to  anchor,  the  vessel  struck  on 
a  rock,  but  fortunately  no  damage  was  done.  We  landed 
at  Nguna  early  in  the  morning,  Mrs.  Robertson  with  us. 
Mrs.  Milne  was  on  the  shore  to  meet  her.  "  When  the 
natives  told  me  that  there  was  a  lady  in  the  boat,  I 
could  not  stop  in  the  house,"  she  said.  Our  stay  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milne  was  all  too  short,  and  we  were  soon 
off  again,  and  stood  away  for  the  small  island  of  Emae 
or  Two-Hills,  where  the  Samoan  teacher  Ta  was  settled. 
He  came  to  the  ship  in  his  canoe,  but  none  of  us  went 
on  shore.  No  other  stoppage  was  made  until  we 
reached  Cape  Lisburn,  on  Santo,  the  station  of  Mr. 
Goodwill.  Tongoa,  Epi,  Ambrim,  Malekula,  Malo,  and 
all  South  Santo  were  without  missionaries.  What  a 
contrast  to  things  to-day!  We  spent  both  Sunday  and 
Monday  with  the  Goodwills,  who,  we  were  sorry  to  see, 
were  in  poor  health.  They  had  very  little  help,  the 
people  all  around  them  being  heathen.  On  Monday 
Mr.  Goodwill's  supplies  were  landed,  and,  as  they  in- 
tended not  to  come  south  with  us  to  the  Annual  Meet- 
ing, we  left  them  the  following  day.  Four  days  later 
we  reached  Nguna,  and,  only  stopping  to  take  Mr. 
Milne  on  board,  sailed  for  Mau.  In  the  evening  Mr. 
Milne,  Mr.  Mackenzie  and  I  landed  and  walked  to  the 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  185 

village.  The  natives  appeared  very  friendly,  and  pro- 
mised us  land  for  a  missionary.  We  went  back  tc 
the  ship,  well  pleased  with  them.  The  next  morning, 
when  we  saw  them  again,  a  change  had  come  over 
them ;  they  kept  away  from  us,  looked  sullen  and 
treacherous,  and  would  not  hear  of  a  missionary  coming 
to  them  at  all.  Indeed,  so  threatening  were  they,  that 
we  thought  it  wise  to  be  off  to  the  boat  as  soon  as 
possible.  Evidently  the  Mau  people  were  not  anxious 
then  to  be  taught  better  things.  After  taking  Mrs. 
Milne  on  board,  we  touched  at  no  island  till  Tanna 
was  reached.  Picking  up  Mr.  Neilson,  we  sailed  round 
to  Weasisi  on  Tanna  to  see  if  there  would  be  any 
opening  there.  Late  that  same  afternoon  we  made 
Aniwa,  and  taking  the  Patons  on  board  left  for 
Kwamera.  Mrs.  Milne,  Mrs.  Paton  and  her  children 
stayed  with  Mrs.  Watt,  while  Mr.  Watt  came  on  with 
us  to  the  meeting.  Calling  next  at  Futuna,  we  found 
that  the  Copelands  were  not  coming,  but  Mr.  Copeland 
asked  that  the  Dayspring  might  be  sent  back  after  the 
meeting  to  take  them  to  Aneityum. 

We  were  just  four  weeks  away  from  Aname  when 
we  arrived  there  again  on  the  second  of  Jime.  I  left 
Mrs.  Robertson  with  Mrs.  Inglis  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie, 
and,  picking  up  Mr.  IngHs,  we  sailed  for  Anelcauhat. 
Just  as  we  were  leaving  Aname,  Mrs.  Robertson  turned 
to  Mr.  Watt,  saying :  "  Be  sure  and  don't  settle  us  on 
Santo  or  Erromanga  ".  The  settlement  of  the  new 
missionaries  was  one  of  the  most  important  matters  to 
be  discussed.  Mr.  Murray  was  already  in  charge  of 
Anelcauhat.  It  was  decided  that  Mr.  Macdonald  should 
open  up  the  new  field  of  Havannah  Harbour,  Mr. 
Mackenzie  should  take  up  the  work  on  Erakor  of  Efate, 
while  we  were  to  come  to  Erromanga.  Mrs.  Robertson 
had  the  first  news  of  this  from  a  kind  letter  of  Mr. 


i86  ERROMANGA 

Paton's  sent  overland.  She  told  me  that,  after  reading 
of  our  appointment  to  Erromanga,  she  went  to  her 
room  and  had  a  "  good  cry  ".  Mrs.  Inglis,  though  sym- 
pathetic, could  not  understand  such  weakness.  She 
asked  what  the  trouble  was.  Mrs.  Robertson  sobbed, 
"  I  don't  want  to  go  to  Erromanga  ".  "  Don't  want  to 
go  to  Erromanga !  "  said  Mrs.  Inglis ;  "  why,  you  could 
not  have  a  better  place ;  there  is  a  nice  river,  and  you 
will  be  able  to  have  a  boat  and  keep  cattle."  But 
my  wife  had  no  thoughts  for  boat  or  cattle  just  then ; 
Erromanga,  she  told  me,  was  the  last  place  she  wanted 
to  go  to.  And  who  could  wonder .?  When  her  friends, 
and  especially  her  mother,  in  Canada,  heard  of  it,  they 
were  almost  heart-broken,  feeling  sure  that  they  would 
never  see  her  again.  But  when  it  was  fully  settled 
that  this  island  was  to  be  our  field  of  work,  my  wife 
was  brave  enough  for  even  dark  Erromanga.  When 
the  Copelands  arrived  at  Aname,  and  Mrs.  Copeland 
met  Mrs.  Robertson,  she  exclaimed :  "  Oh,  why  are  you 
going  to  Erromanga  ?  can  you  not  change  even  now }  " 
Mr.  Copeland  told  me  that,  had  he  been  at  the  meeting, 
he  would  have  strongly  opposed  our  settlement. 

While  at  Aname  my  wife  had  her  first  experience  of 
an  earthquake.  Mrs.  Mackenzie  was  in  one  room,  Mrs. 
Robertson  in  another,  while  Mrs.  Inglis's  bedroom  was 
some  distance  away.  In  the  night  an  uncanny  shaking 
began,  and  Mrs.  Robertson  was  terrified.  Mrs.  Inglis 
came  to  her  door,  and  said,  "  If  you  are  frightened, 
come  into  my  room  ".  "  Oh !  I  am  not  at  all  frightened  ; 
thank  you,"  she  replied,  and  then  lay  awake  trembling 
till  daylight.  At  the  breakfast  table  the  "  earthquake  " 
was,  of  course,  the  topic  of  conversation,  and  my  wife 
was  congratulated  on  her  bravery.  She  bore  the  praise 
modestly,  and  casually  asked  Mrs.  Mackenzie  what  kind 
of  a  night  sAe  had  passed.     Mrs.  Mackenzie  confessed 


MY  LIFE-WORK  BEGINS  187 

to  having  been  very  much  alarmed,  and  begged  my  wife 
to  sleep  with  her  that  night.  "  Oh,  certainly !  "  Mrs. 
Robertson  replied,  and  to  Mrs.  Mackenzie's  expression 
of  gratitude  added,  "  Don't  mention  it ;  /  shall  be  only 
too  pleased " ;  which,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it, 
was  a  very  truthful  statement.  She  had  just  been 
wondering  how  she  was  going  to  pass  another  night 
alone. 

From  Aname  we  went  right  to  Kwamera,  landing  Mr. 
Watt  and  picking  up  the  ladies  who  had  been  staying 
there.  At  Port  Resolution,  Dr.  Geddie,  Mr.  Neilson, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie  went  on  shore,  while  Mrs. 
Macdonald  joined  her  husband  on  the  Days-pring.  At 
Aniwa  we  landed  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paton,  and  then  sailed 
for  Erromanga.  It  was  with  mingled  feelings  that  we 
looked  forward  to  our  arrival  there ;  we  did  not  even 
know  whether  the  people  would  have  us  among  them. 
On  Tuesday  morning,  the  25  th  of  June,  we  anchored  in 
Dillon's  Bay,  Soso  and  Yomot  soon  coming  off  in  a 
canoe.  After  breakfast  we  landed,  and  a  meeting  of 
the  people  was  called.  It  seemed  strange  that  Naling, 
the  chief,  kept  out  of  our  way ;  he  would  not  come 
near  the  missionaries.  His  conduct  was  afterwards  ex- 
plained He  wanted  a  missionary,  but  was  afraid  to 
take  one  lest  he  should  not  be  able  to  protect  him. 
"  If  a  missionary  comes  here  with  me,"  he  said,  "  and 
the  heathen  kill  him,  you  will  blame  me  for  his  death." 
Nothing  was  decided  at  the  gathering  of  the  people ; 
they  would  first  think  over  it  well,  and  Soso  promised 
to  come  off  to  the  ship  that  evening  and  let  us  know 
the  result.  Need  I  say  how  anxiously  we  awaited  the 
news,  nor  how  we  prayed  that  God  might  show  us  all 
His  will  in  this  trying  time.  In  the  evening  I  heard 
the  lop  of  paddles  on  the  water,  and  soon  the  canoe 
was  alongside.       "  Well,  Soso,  what  have  you  to  tell 


i88  ERROMANGA 

me?"  I  asked.  "  Vou  may  come."  No  protection,  no 
help  offered — for  how  could  they  in  their  weak  state 
offer  any  ? — but  we  were  thankful,  indeed,  to  hear  that 
we  might  only  land.  On  Wednesday  our  fellow- 
passengers  and  ourselves  went  on  shore,  and  a  busy 
day  was  passed.  Mr.  Allan,  a  trader,  and  his  wife 
were  at  that  time  occupying  the  mission-house,  but  very 
kindly  at  once  gave  it  up  to  us.  We  all  had  lunch  on 
shore,  but  went  back  to  the  ship  in  the  evening,  and 
slept  on  board.  It  was  our  last  night  with  our  friends ; 
to-morrow  we  were  to  be  left  alone.  On  Thursday 
morning  Mr.  Watt,  Mr.  Campbell,  and  the  chief  officer 
took  Mrs.  Robertson  and  myself  on  shore.  The  ship 
could  not  leave  till  the  evening,  but  we  were  busy  all 
day  getting  our  "  belongings  "  put  to  rights.  This  was 
the  28th  of  June,  1872.  I  remember  so  well  the  evening 
when  the  vessel  left ;  we  were  both  feeling  very  lonely, 
and  I  strolled  down  to  the  shore  to  get  my  last  sight  of 
the  little  Dayspring.  My  heart  was  too  full  for  words, 
and  I  am  afraid  I  felt  a  queer  lump  in  my  throat  as  the 
white  sails  became  smaller  and  smaller  to  view.  Just 
then  I  heard  a  loud  voice  behind  me,  "  Well !  ship  he  go 
Sandwich".  This  was  Utevo,  a  young  woman,  who 
evidently  thought  I  was  in  need  of  sympathy ;  but  not 
of  that  kind,  I  thought,  and  soon  found  my  way  back  to 
the  house.  That  night  in  that  old  house,  alone  on  the 
martyr-isle,  my  wife  and  I  knelt  at  our  evening  prayer, 
and  the  prayer  was — *'  Erromanga  for  Christ,  and  Christ 
for  Erromanga  ". 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  YEAR  1873.— J.  D.  GORDON'S  GRAVE, 

Erromanga  was  now  our  home,  and  has  been  so  for 
nearly  thirty  years.  Almost  at  once  we  had  to  set  to 
work.  The  old  house,  at  a  former  time  the  property  of 
Mr.  Henry,  a  trader  on  the  island,  was  sadly  in  need 
of  repair.  The  day  we  landed.  Rev.  Mr.  Watt,  of  Tanna, 
got  some  Ambrim  men,  who  were  returning  to  their 
own  island,  to  whitewash  the  building.  They  did  their 
best,  poor  fellows,  but — oh,  what  whitewashing !  When 
the  ship  left  us,  we  had  to  wash  the  whitewash  from  the 
floors.  Mrs.  Robertson  worked  hard  at  it  for  days.  The 
first  day,  a  little  girl  named  Sampat,  the  daughter 
of  an  old  chief  of  Cook's  Bay,  interested,  I  suppose,  in 
the  new  arrivals,  came  round  to  give  us  the  benefit  of 
her  presence  and  advice.  She  kindly  offered  to  wash 
the  floors.  My  wife  accepted  the  offer,  and  expressed 
her  gratitude.  In  a  few  seconds  there  was  the  sound 
of  a  loud  splash,  then  another  and  another.  Mrs. 
Robertson  hurried  to  the  scene  of  operations  in  time  to 
see  Sampat  all  in  her  glory,  the  floor  deluged  with  water, 
the  small  lady  herself  busily  wiping  it  up  with  her  feet 
and  an  old  cloth !  Mrs.  Robertson  explained  to  Sampat 
that  although,  no  doubt,  hers  was  a  quicker  and  more 
graceful  method  of  washing  floors,  it  was  not  the  usual 
one,  and  straightway  set  to  work  herself.  Sampat  soon 
learned  to  be  a  good  worker,  and  lived  with  us  for  a 
number  of  years.        Two   other  girls  who   helped   my 

(189) 


I90  ERROMANGA 

wife  were  Utevo  and  Nampunia.  The  latter  was  bright, 
obedient  and  willing,  and  had  been  working  for  Mr. 
Gordon  at  one  time.  It  used  to  be  somewhat  amusing 
to  notice  how  many  claimed  the  honour  of  being  his 
domestics.  "  Who  helped  Mr.  Gordon  and  cooked  for 
him .''  "  "  I  did,"  would  be  the  reply,  no  matter  whom 
we  addressed.  "  Who  looked  after  his  house  and  sewed 
his  clothes  ^  "  we  would  ask,  perhaps  an  old  man  this 
time.  And  "  1  did "  would  come  the  unhesitating 
answer.  Utevo  claimed  to  be  "  housekeeper ".  "  Do 
you  say  you  cooked  for  Mr.  Gordon,  and  looked  after 
his  house  ? "  said  Mrs.  Robertson.  "  Yes ;  who  else 
would  have  done  it .? "  "  And  where  did  he  keep  his 
food  —  the  bread,  sugar,  milk  and  other  things .? " 
"  Oh !  in  his  bokis,  '  box,'  with  his  clothes,"  said  Utevo. 
But  I  believe  Nampunia  really  had  worked  for  him ; 
she  certainly  did  well  when  with  us,  and  never  left  us. 
In  July  the  Dayspring  returned  from  the  north,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Watt  and  Mr.  Campbell  coming  on  shore  to 
see  us.  When  they  left  us,  we  did  not  expect  to  see 
missionaries  again  until  December.  Soon  after  that 
call,  a  small  labour-vessel  ^  arrived  from  Noumea,  and 
two  men — Numpurom,  an  Erromangan,  and  Watata,  an 
Aneityumese — deserted  from  her  in  the  night.  They 
said  they  had  been  working  for  years  and  had  received 
no  payment.  The  following  day,  when  the  captain 
came  on  shore,  they  refused  to  go  back,  and  he  did  not 
press  them  to  do  so.  Watata,  of  his  own  accord,  came 
to  me,  and  helped  me  with  my  work.  I  asked  him,  in 
his  own  language,  if  he  would  like  to  engage  as  a  ser- 
vant. "  Yes,  Misi,"  was  the  quick  reply ;  "  but  I  do  not 
want  pay."  "  Oh,  we'll  see  about  that,"  I  answered.  I 
engaged  him  there  and  then,  and  later  arranged  to 
give  him  £6  a  year  as  wages.^  For  eighteen  years 
Watata  was  with  us,  and  through  all  our  troubles  and 


THE  YEAR  1873  191 

difficulties  proved  a  warm  and  faithful  friend.  Num- 
purom  assisted  at  all  my  work  of  house-building.  Mrs. 
Robertson  engaged  two  cooks  to  work  week  about. 
Atnelo,  a  tall,  slight  lad  of  gentle  disposition,  of  whom 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Macnair  thought  very  highly,  was  one.  We 
liked  him,  and  found  him  a  good  worker,  but  he  soon  left 
us.  A  labour  vessel  came  in  one  day.  Atnelo  cooked 
the  bread,  brought  it  in,  and  laid  it  on  the  table,  and  then 
left  in  the  ship  without  a  word  to  us.  The  other  "  cook," 
Woris  Nemetangi,  '  the  wind,*  was  just  a  boy,  tall  and 
handsome,  with  bright,  rolling  eyes.  He  simply  had 
no  idea  of  work,  and  came  to  us  more  out  of  curiosity 
than  anything  else.  Mrs.  Robertson  liked  the  boy,  but 
he  tried  her  sorely,  and,  that  I  might  not  be  worried, 
she  put  up  with  him  patiently  and  never  spoke  to  me 
about  his  doings.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  how  well  he 
used  to  work  when  I  came  in  sight ;  I  often  was  quite 
struck  with  the  way  he  managed  things,  and  told  Mrs. 
Robertson  she  was  fortunate,  indeed,  in  having  such  a 
"  treasure  ".  It  was  only  after  some  time  that  I  found 
that  she  was  doing  the  work,  and  Woris  giving  a  hand 
now  and  again.  She  would  go  to  one  door  to  call  him, 
while  he  would  slip  out  at  the  other  door  and  amuse 
himself  by  beating  on  the  wood-work  with  an  old  iron 
spoon.  For  an  hour  or  so,  Mrs.  Robertson,  heated 
and  tired,  would  work  in  the  kitchen,  and  then  Woris, 
with  his  big,  sparkling  eyes,  full  of  fun,  would  turn  up 
for  another  "  shy  "  at  it.  One  day  I  took  him  into  my 
room  to  talk  seriously  to  him.  I  spoke  in  Erromangan, 
and  in  the  middle  of  what  I  thought  was  a  fine  sentence, 
rating  him  sharply  for  his  conduct,  I,  unfortunately, 
could  not  think  of  a  word  I  wanted.  Woris  saw  my 
difficulty,  and  promptly  supplied  me  with  the  term. 
Now,  who  could  scold  a  fellow  who  helps  one  out 
with  the  words }     One  day  we  heard  piteous  howling 


192  ERROMANGA 

in  the  native  premises.  "  What  is  that  noise,  Woris  ?  " 
we  asked.  Our  cook  replied,,  with  a  grin  :  "  Oh !  only 
Utevo  ;  she  beat  him  small  fellow  boy  ".  The  "  small 
fellow  boy "  was  Essa,  the  little  daughter  of  Rangi, 
the  Polynesian  ;  for  Utevo  was  busily  engaged  in  train- 
ing her  up  by  the  discipline  of  pain. 

Crowds  of  heathen  came  about  us.  That  seemed  to 
be  the  great  feasting  time,  and  it  was  a  daily  occurrence 
to  see  them  passing  on  their  way  to  the  big  nisekar 
or  *  feasts '.  The  men,  hideous  in  paint,  had  absolutely 
no  clothing,  but  the  women — then,  as  they  have  always 
been  on  this  island — were  well  dressed.  Indeed,  we 
think  the  Erromangan  heathen  woman's  attire  most 
picturesque,  with  her  long  skirts  of  gaily  tinted  materials 
and  sweeping  train,  sometimes  eight  or  nine  feet  long. 
A  piece  of  native  cloth,  patterned  and  coloured,  is 
brought  over  one  shoulder  and  across  under  the  other 
arm  and  tied  in  a  knot  at  the  back.  No  head-dress  is 
worn,  but  often  a  string  of  beads  is  wound  round  the 
neck.  A  tall  and  good-looking  woman  in  this  costume 
looks  truly  regal.  In  those  days  their  faces  were  tattooed 
and  always  painted,  the  cheeks  black,  the  nose  and 
sometimes  the  forehead  a  startling  red.  With  their 
children  strapped  on  their  backs  and  great  bundles  of 
stick  on  their  heads,  they  were  generally  in  front  on 
the  march ;  the  men,  carrying  the  great  navilah  or 
'  sacred  stones,'  in  the  rear.  When  fording  the  river 
this  order  was  reversed,  the  men  taking  the  lead,  hold- 
ing their  clubs,  bows  and  arrows  high  above  the  water, 
the  great  throng  of  women  and  girls  following  more 
slowly  with  their  heavier  burdens.  Even  the  tiny  girls 
of  eight  and  nine  years  wore  the  sweeping  skirts — the 
badge  of  the  married  or  betrothed  women ;  poor  little 
things!  scarcely  out  of  their  babyhood,  the  wives  of 
old  wretches  who  might  have  been  their  grandfathers. 


THE  YEAR  1873  I93 

I  remember  being  struck,  on  my  first  visit  to  Erromanga, 
with  the  pecuhar  appearance  of  the  natives,  their  dark, 
receding  eyes,  projecting  foreheads,  and  strange,  sullen 
countenances,  and  I  noticed  the  same  thing  now.  We 
scarcely  ever  saw  a  heathen  smile,  and  rarely  would  one 
speak  to  us.  One  seldom  saw  a  really  good  face 
among  them ;  the  men  that  passed  us  then  on  their 
feasting  jaunts  seemed  a  bad,  treacherous  lot.  But  in 
justice  I  ought  to  say  that  some  of  the  heathen  living 
near  us  were  kind  and  peaceably  inclined.  Old  Num- 
purom,  the  brother  of  Auwi-auwi,  Williams's  murderer, 
and  a  few  others  were  always  friendly. 

Sometimes  a  party  would  honour  the  mission-house 
with  a  call ;  and  what  impudent  callers  they  were !  They 
would  sit  on  the  chairs,  sit  on  the  table,  sit  on  the 
beds ;  and  we  had  to  put  up  with  it  all.  They  would 
examine  and  actually  smell  everything  in  the  house. 
When  a  crowd  of  them,  with  their  unwashed  bodies 
and  painted  faces,  crammed  themselves  into  the  rooms, 
by  the  time  they  had  got  fairly  through  them,  we  could 
scarcely  stay  in  the  house  for  the  odour.  The  men 
all  carried  axes,  and  we  could  raise  no  objection.  Some 
of  them  used  to  be  really  interested,  others  rushed 
through  like  great  bullocks,  seeing  nothing  and  only 
going  because  others  were  going.  They  would  never 
shake  hands  with  us,  and,  in  taking  anything  from  us, 
would  carefully  place  a  leaf  on  their  own  hands,  so 
that  ours  might  not  by  any  chance  touch  them.  This 
was  to  prevent  the  possibihty  of  our  "sorcery"  taking 
effect  on  them.  After  a  time,  the  heathen  used  to 
bring  us  yams,  but  they  were  generally  from  the  feasting 
centres,  and,  having  been  tied  up  for  months,  were  as 
dry  as  sticks. 

Exactly  two  months  from  the  time  of  our  settlement, 
H.M.S.    Basilisk,    commanded    by    Captain    Moresby, 


194  ERROM/iNGA 

came  to  anchor.  The  captain  landed,  and  at  once  in- 
quired about  the  murder  of  Mr.  Gordon.  When  I  had 
told  all  that  I  knew,  he  saw  it  necessary  to  visit  the 
scene  of  the  murder,  and  asked  me  to  accompany  him. 
I  answered  that,  if  'he  insisted  on  it,  I  should  be  com- 
pelled to  go,  but  it  would  be  entirely  against  my  wishes. 
I  felt  that,  as  a  missionary,  any  action  of  mine  in  the 
matter  at  that  time  would  be  misunderstood,  especially 
by  the  Erromangans.  Thereupon  Capt.  Moresby  kindly 
answered  that  he  would  not  insist  on  my  going.  He 
wanted  Naling,  the  chief  of  Dillon's  Bay,  and  old  Woris 
Nangeri,  of  Sufa,  thought  by  some  to  have  been  an 
accomplice  in  the  murder,  to  accompany  him.  The 
latter  was  unwilHng,  afraid,  I  suppose,  and  the  only 
way  that  he  and  Naling,  too,  could  be  prevailed  upon 
to  go  was  by  promising  them  that  no  lives  would  be 
taken.  Messrs.  Gray  and  Smith,  the  traders,  also  went 
by  the  Basilisk^  which  at  once  left  for  the  east  side  of 
the  island.  On  his  return,  Captain  Moresby  remarked 
that  he  regretted  his  promise,  such  was  the  insolence 
and  bold  appearance  of  the  natives.  There  was  an 
entire  absence  of  remorse,  and  in  its  place  a  fiendish 
exultation  over  the  deed  of  blood.  He  said  that  had 
he  not  promised  the  two  chiefs  to  punish  no  one,  he 
would  have  given  the  tribe  such  a  warning  as  they  would 
never  forget.  A  number  of  marines  were  landed,  but 
nothing  seemed  to  intimidate  the  hardened  wretches. 
The  captain  had  all  Gordon's  books  (some  of  them  torn 
from  their  bindings,  and  pages  scattered  everywhere) 
packed  and  brought  round  to  Dillon's  Bay.  Two  of  the 
books  were  stained  with  blood.  They  were  all  sold 
here  by  auction,  the  Basilisk  officers  buying  some, 
Gray  and  Smith  others,  and  I  also  getting  a  few.  They 
realised  fourteen  pounds  altogether. 

One  afternoon  in  August  I  did  not  go  down  as  usual 


THE  YEAR  1873  I95 

to  my  building.  We  had  decided  to  erect  a  new  house 
as  soon  as  possible  nearer  the  shore,  the  old  mission- 
house  being  unhealthy.  I  was  at  the  end  of  the 
house  near  the  garden  making  a  towel-rack,  and  Mrs. 
Robertson  was  sitting  inside  sewing,  little  Sampat  with 
her.  Two  middle-aged  men,  naked,  each  carrying  an 
iron  bar  about  two  feet  long,  appeared  on  the  scene, 
laid  the  bars  down  at  the  door,  and  came  right  into  the 
house.  We  did  not  know  who  they  were,  but  gave  the 
Erromangan  salutation.  They  made  no  reply.  Mrs. 
Robertson  then  asked  them  :  "  Who  are  you  ?  Are  you 
from  Cook's  Bay  ?  "  and  to  that  they  answered,  "  Yes  ". 
The  Cook's  Bay  people  were  almost  our  only  friends, 
so  that  we  felt  perfectly  safe  when  we  heard  that.  In 
a  second  or  two,  we  noticed  little  Sampat  looking 
frightened  and  crouching  behind  Mrs.  Robertson's 
chair.  My  wife  said,  "  Come,  Sampat ;  why  don't  you 
shake  hands  with  your  friends .' "  But  the  girl  would 
not  move.  I  spoke  to  the  men,  and,  thinking  they  had 
come  to  inspect  our  house,  began  to  show  them  some 
pictures ;  but  they  seemed  to  take  no  interest  in  any- 
thing ;  so  I  began  my  work  again  at  the  open  door. 
One  man  at  once  slipped  out,  and  getting  his  iron  bar 
came  and  stood  beside  me,  while  his  friend  also  lifted 
his  bar  from  the  ground  ;  but,  never  suspecting  anything, 
I  went  on  talking  to  them.  Just  then  Netai,  accom- 
panied by  Novolu,  came  rushing  along  and  pushed  their 
way  into  the  room,  both  very  much  excited.  Novolu 
turned  and  actually  stormed  at  me  in  Aneityumese : 
"  Who  are  these  men,  Misi  ?  Why  do  you  allow  them 
to  be  in  your  house  ?  "  I  answered  in  English  :  "  These 
are  friends  from  Cook's  Bay".  Then  Netai„  his  voice 
trembling  with  excitement,  said  to  me :  "  No,  Misi  •,  he 
no  Cook's  Bay  man  ;  he  bad  man,  Unepang  man  ".  The 
strangers  at  once  slipped  out  and  slunk  away,  my  man  in 


196  ERROMANGA 

his  hurry  dropping  his  bar,  and  we  never  saw  either  of 
them  again.  Netai  seemed  terribly  upset ;  he  had  got 
warning  from  some  one  that  these  men  were  in  our 
house,  and,  taking  Novolu,  who  could  talk  Aneityumese, 
ran  at  once  to  our  help.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that 
the  intention  of  the  strangers  was  to  brain  us  both, 
for  the  people  of  Unepang  were  the  sworn  enemies  of 
the  Christian  party.  Since  Yomot  had  killed  the  young 
chief,  in  revenge  for  Mr.  Gordon's  death,  there  had  been 
a  deadly  feud ;  the  very  name  "  Unepang  "  was  enough 
to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  our  people. 

When  the  Basilisk  left  us,,  we  were  busy  preparing 
for  a  boat  trip  to  Aniwa.  I  built  an  awning  over  the 
Yarra-Yarra,  Mr.  Macnair's  lifeboat,  and  everything  was 
being  got  ready  for  a  start.  One  day  we  were  sur- 
prised to  see  a  vessel  like  the  Days-pring  herself.  We 
could  not  understand  it,  as  we  thought  her  long  ago 
on  her  way  to  Melbourne.  The  visit  was  soon  ex- 
plained when  Mr.  Neilson  and  Captain  Ray  came  on 
shore.  The  Dayspring  had  taken  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
kenzie from  Tanna  to  their  own  station  at  Erakor,  and 
on  leaving  there  Dr.  Geddie,  though  himself  in  broken 
health  and  very  weak,  thought  of  us  on  lonely  Erro- 
manga,  and  suggested  that  they  should  give  us  a  call. 
The  kindly  act  touched  us  very  much.  Dr.  Geddie  did 
not  land,  but  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  went  off  to  the  ship 
and  said  good-bye  to  him.  It  was  our  last  sight  of 
the  "  Father  of  the  Mission,"  for  on  the  14th  of  Decem- 
ber of  that  year,  1 872,  at  Geelong,  in  Victoria,  he  passed 
away  to  his  eternal  home.  Mr.  Neilson  wrote  and  gave 
us  a  hurried  note  to  his  wife,  hoping  that  there  might 
be  a  chance  to  send  it  from  our  place  at  Dillon's  Bay 
to  Port  Resolution.  He  strongly  disapproved  of  our 
proposed  sea  trip.  "  Don't  go,"  he  said  to  me ;  "  you 
will  only  drown  your  wife  and  yourself."     However,  our 


THE  YEAR   1873  I97 

minds  were  made  up.  We  were  rather  short  of  food, 
and  besides  that,  wanted  the  cheer  of  a  visit  to  friends. 
The  Yarra-  Yarra  was  an  excellent  lifeboat,  with  a 
35-ft.  keel ;  had  been  built  in  Melbourne,  and  presented 
to  Mr.  Macnair  for  his  work.  He,  poor  man,  had  never 
used  it,  but  it  was  in  the  Yarra-  Yarra  that,  after  her 
husband's  death,  Mrs.  Macnair  and  her  child  were  taken 
away  from  Erromanga.  We  passed  out  of  the  river  at 
two  o'clock  one  morning,  there  was  a  fine  breeze  from 
the  west,  and  it  looked  as  if  we  were  going  to  have  a 
quick  run  to  Aniwa.  We  had  a  picked  crew  of  twelve 
men  and  boys,  and  I  myself  steered.  We  went  scudding 
along  until  we  reached  Bunkil,  ten  miles  south  of 
Dillon's  Bay.  Then  we  saw  what  we  were  to  have.  A 
tremendous  sea  struck  us  and  carried  away  our  steering 
gear ;  fortunately  the  ruddet  was  securely  fastened. 
I  had  providentially  taken  nails,  screw-driver,  brace- 
and-bit,  and  a  hammer,  and  was  able  to  fix  the  upper 
pintle.  We  then  took  off  the  stroke  oar  and  made  it 
into  a  steer  oar,  but  it  was  much  too  short ;  so  rudder 
and  oar  were  both  used.  I  tried  to  turn  the  boat,  but 
could  not  do  so ;  our  only  hope  was  to  run  before  the 
gale.  To  land  at  that  part  of  the  island,  even  if  it  had 
been  possible,  would  have  meant  certain  death.  The 
boys  were  baling  constantly,  and  we  still  thought  that 
we  might  make  Aniwa  by  four  or  five  o'clock  that  after- 
noon. 

The  storm  increased  hour  by  hour,  and  I  had  to  take 
down  the  jib  and  run  with  a  reefed  foresail.  The  young 
men  got  frightened,  but  Naling,  Numpurom  and  Watata 
behaved  splendidly,  and  kept  their  courage  up.  We 
were  making  heavy  weather  then,  the  rain  dashing  in 
torrents,  and  the  waves — not  sprays,  but  great,  green 
:eas — running.  The  good  old  Yarra-Yarra  sped  like 
a  flying  fury  before  the  storm.      I  had  soon  to  take  off 


198  ERROMANGA 

all  sail,  and  keep  her  going  with  a  large  '  butcher  '  knife 
stuck  in  the  mast.  Four  of  us  took  turns  in  steering. 
Mrs.  Robertson  lay  in  the  stem-sheets  of  the  boat,  the 
waves  dashing  right  over  her.  We  could  have  landed 
without  much  difficulty  at  Ifwa  on  the  south  coast  of 
Erromanga,  but  we  durst  not ;  for  we  knew  what  our 
fate  would  be.  After  fourteen  hours — hours  in  which 
we  seemed  to  live  a  lifetime — Netai  pointed  to  where 
Aniwa  should  be,  and  on  looking  at  my  pocket  compass 
I  saw  he  was  right.  Soon  we  caught  sight  of  the  tops 
of  trees,  and  before  sundown  got  right  up  to  Mr. 
Paton's  landing.  But  in  that  great  boiling  sea  landing 
was  impossible.  The  men  had  become  so  fagged  and 
frightened  that  they  said :  "  Misi,  let  us  rush  the  boat 
ashore ".  "  AH  very  well  for  you  fellows,"  I  said ; 
"  though  I  don't  think  even  you  good  swimmers  would 
have  much  chance  of  reaching  the  shore ;  but  what 
about  my  wife  and  myself .-' " 

The  boat  settled  down  on  the  reef,  but  we  managed 
to  get  her  off,  and,  working  round  to  the  lee  of  the 
island,  found  anchorage.  After  some  time  there,  every- 
thing seemed  so  quiet  and  calm  that  we  thought  we 
would  venture  a  return  and  make  a  landing,  if  possible. 
With  six  men  at  the  oars  we  pulled  round  again  to  the 
weather  side.  But  it  was  blowing  half  a  hurricane ; 
we  could  not  even  look  at  it.  To  make  matters  worse, 
we  could  not  find  our  old  anchorage,  and  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  keep  on  our  oars.  We  now  and 
again  saw  the  flames  from  the  Tanna  volcano.  We 
dodged  about  until  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  by 
that  time  the  men  were  thoroughly  exhausted.  I  de- 
cided that  they  must  have  rest.  So  we  got  the  halyards 
that  I  had  brought  with  me,  and  fastened  them  to  the 
anchor.  Atnelo  went  forward  and  paid  out,  till  at  last 
the  anchor  caught  in  the  reef,  and  we  made  the  rope 


THE  YEAR  1873  I99 

fast.  "Now,  boys,"  I  said,  "you  can  go  to  sleep".  I 
did  not  need  to  tell  them  a  second  time.  Mrs.  Robert- 
son raised  her  hand  and  caught  mine ;  hers  was  as  cold 
as  ice.  "  Could  you  not  sleep,  too  ?  "  she  asked.  "  My 
dear,"  I  said,  "  it  came  very  near  being  a  long  sleep  ". 
"  I  knew  it,"  she  replied.  And  yet  never  once  in 
those  awful  twenty-four  hours  had  she  uttered  a  word 
of  fear,  but  had  kept  calm  from  beginning  to  end, 
though  the  drenching  waves  were  sweeping  over  her 
where  she  lay.  We  had  a  word  of  prayer  together, 
and  then,  some  time  later,  roused  the  men.  We  had 
put  tubs  of  sand  in  the  Yarra-  Yarra  before  we  left 
Dillon's  Bay,  and  now  made  a  hot  cup  of  coffee  for  all 
hands.  They  were  feeling  strengthened  after  their 
rest,  and  I  said :  "  Now,  men,  I'll  give  you  two  bright 
sovereigns  if  you  will  do  your  best  to  land  my  wife  and 
myself  at  Mr.  Paton's  by  eight  o'clock".  It  was  then 
six.  Though  the  wind  had  gone  down,  a  heavy  sea  was 
running.  We  put  two  men  at  each  oar ;  they  strained 
their  utmost  and  did  splendidly,  like  the  plucky  fellows 
they  were.  Just  about  eight  o'clock  we  rushed  right  in  to 
the  landing,  and  a  crowd  of  natives  ran  the  boat  up  with 
us  in  her.  When  Mrs.  Robertson  stepped  on  shore  she 
was  trembling  like  a  leaf ;  a  day  and  a  night  at  sea  in  a 
hurricane  was  enough  to  make  the  strongest  collapse. 
Mr.  Paton  came  hurrying  down,  and,  meeting  her,  could 
scarcely  be  persuaded  that  all  was  well.  He  feared  that 
I  had  been  killed,  and  that  my  wife  had  fled  to  them 
for  safety.  Mrs.  Paton  at  once  made  us  hot  drinks, 
and  then  took  us  to  a  substantial  breakfast.  The  warm 
reception  from  them  both  almost  made  us  forget  the 
troubles  of  the  day  and  night  before.  Breakfast  over, 
we  went  straight  to  bed,  and  I  know  that  to  me  it  seemed 
not  more  than  a  few  minutes  before  the  dinner-bell 
rang.     We  spent  ten  days  at  Aniwa,  and  what  kindness 


200  ERROMANGA 

we  received  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paton!  The  natives, 
too,  seemed  specially  thoughtful,  and  our  stay  was 
pleasant  in  every  way.  On  Sunday  we  all  attended  the 
services.  In  the  morning,  Mr.  Paton  preached  what 
was,  I  suppose,  an  eloquent  sermon,  as  he  was  busy 
flying  from  one  end  of  the  pulpit  to  the  other  all  the 
time.  In  the  afternoon  I  addressed  the  people,  Mr. 
Paton  translating. 

The  children  of  the  family  were  all  at  home  then. 
One  day  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  got  Frank,  the  baby, 
dressed  up  in  a  suit  of  my  clothes ;  we  cut  a  huge 
clerical  collar  out  of  paper,  and  tied  a  white  necktie 
round  his  neck.  He  looked  so  solemn  over  it  all  that 
we  could  scarcely  restrain  ourselves  from  laughing,  and 
were  afraid  that  he  might  object.  However,  he  only 
gave  us  a  look  of  mingled  pity  and  contempt,  and 
allowed  us  to  go  on  rolling  up  the  trouser  legs  till 
they  came  somewhere  near  his  feet.  Having  placed  a 
pair  of  spectacles  on  his  nose,  and  seated  him  in  a 
chair,  studying  a  paper,  one  leg  thrown  over  the  other, 
we  sent  for  Mr.  Paton,  telling  him  that  a  "young  mis- 
sionary" was  in  the  house,  and  would  like  to  meet  him. 
When  his  father  came  running  in  from  his  work,  the 
dignified  "  missionary "  looked  at  him  over  his  glasses, 
and  without  a  smile  on  his  face,  and  seemed  to  thor- 
oughly understand  what  an  important  personage  he 
was,  particularly  in  the  eyes  of  the  missionary  of  Aniwa. 
In  1896,  the  Rev.  Frank  Paton  was  settled  among  the 
heathen  of  Lenakel  of  Tanna ;  so  were  not  very  far 
wrong  that  day  after  all. 

On  the  morning  that  we  left  Aniwa — ten  o'clock  was 
the  hour — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paton  climbed  the  hill  near  the 
mission-house,  and  watched  us  till  we  were  out  of  sight. 
There  was  a  strong  current  from  the  east  and  the  wind 
was  blowing  rather  hard,  but  I  kept  the  Yarra-  Yarra 


THE  YEAR  1873  201 

well  up  to  the  wind.  We  ran  to  Bunkil  Bay,  a  distance 
of  thirty-five  miles  from  Aniwa,  and  then  lost  the  wind. 
The  men  took  the  oars,  and  by  ten  o'clock  that  night  we 
were  safe  in  our  house  at  Dillon's  Bay.  The  natives,  even 
the  half-heathen,  fairly  cried  over  our  return,  for  they 
never  expected  to  see  us  again. 

Mr.  Paton  had,  some  months  before  this,  been  ap- 
pointed  to   help   me  with   the   building   of  my   house. 
But  the  late  return  of  the  Dayspring  from  Melbourne 
had  made  that  impossible.     The  vessel  did  not  arrive 
here  till  November,  with  Captain  Jenkins  in  command. 
Mrs.  Jenkins  was  on  board ;    also  Mr.   Paton  and  his 
two   boys,   Robert  and   Fred.     They   all   landed   for   a 
short  time,  and  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I,  when  the  ship 
had  again  left  us,  set  to  work  to  enjoy  the  contents  of  a 
large  mail-bag.     By  the  time  the  Dayspring  returned 
from   the   north   in   December,   the   foundation   of  our 
house  was  already  laid.     Much  to  my  regret  at  the  time, 
a  box  that  I  had  packed  for  Mr.  Gordon's  friends  in 
Prince  Edward  Island,  containing  interesting  mementoes 
of  the  martyr,  was  forgotten  when  the  boat  left  the 
shore.     It  was  just  as  well,  for  the  Dayspring  never 
reached    Sydney.        Instead   of   the   house   that   I   had 
ordered,    there    had    been    landed    enough    timber    for 
two  small  rooms  and  a  verandah.     The  foundation  was 
fifty  feet  long  by  sixteen  feet  wide,  and  I  was  deter- 
mined to  build  the  house  that  size  in  any  circumstances. 
Fortunately,  I  had  a  lot  of  rough  timber  that  Lathella 
had  cut  and  sold  to  me,  and  some  that  I  had  bought 
at  Anauansi  from  Mr.  Cronstedt.     The  natives  helped 
me  manfully,  and  some  of  our  strongest  men  used  to  go 
miles  in  the  bush  for  good  timber,  and  would  often  be 
away   for  two   or   three   days.       We   put   up   a   rough 
shed,  and  there  framed  the  building,  fifty  feet  by  six- 
teen feet,  and  a  verandah    six    feet    wide    all    round. 


202  ERROMANGA 

We  had  to  be  very  careful,  too,  for  there  were  many 
black  birds  of  plunder  always  hanging  round,  and  tools 
and  nails  would  disappear  with  unexpected  rapidity. 
While  a  man  would  be  talking  to  one  of  us  with  a  most 
guileless  smile  on  his  face,  he  would  at  the  same  time 
be  busily  picking  up  fallen  nails  with  his  toes,^  and  pass- 
ing them,  in  the  same  way,  to  a  fellow  thief.  And  these 
were  not  the  worst  things  that  we  had  to  deal  with ; 
we  had  to  beware  of  savage  heathen,  who  might  at  any 
moment  choose  to  do  us  injury ;  and  so  my  men  worked 
with  their  guns  strapped  to  their  bodies,  and  were 
always  on  their  guard.  We  had  the  whole  building 
up  at  the  end  of  December,  and  all  ready  for  thatching. 
The  heathen  had  sold  us  great  quantities  of  sugar-cane 
leaf  for  that  purpose.  We  thought  our  work  would 
soon  be  completed.  But  my  poor  house  was  doomed. 
On  the  night  of  Sunday,  the  6th  of  January,  came  the 
dreadful  hurricane  which  wrecked  the  Dayspring  on 
Aneityum.  It  commenced  to  blow  in  the  afternoon,  and 
after  service  we  went  down  and  put  more  braces  to  the 
new  building.  The  storm  increased  during  the  evening 
until,  at  midnight,  it  was  of  terrific  force.  Great  trees 
near  the  old  house  were  hurled  to  the  ground,  and  the 
natives,  in  terror,  left  their  huts  and  gathered  round 
us.  Some  were  afraid  to  be  near  any  building  or  trees 
and  were  standing  in  the  pouring  rain  in  an  open  square 
— the  only  safe  spot,  they  affirmed.  It  blew  until  nearly 
daylight,  when  the  wind  went  round  to  the  west, 
although  it  still  kept  up  its  fury.  The  rain — a  hurricane 
rain,  cold  and  blinding — came  down  in  torrents,  and  the 
river  began  to  rise,  and  with  the  shaking  and  rattling 
of  the  iron  roof  above  us,  and  the  howling  of  the  wind 
outside,  we  had  enough  to  keep  us  on  the  alert.  We 
both  felt  sure  that  our  new  house  would  be  in  ruins. 
In  the  early  morning,  after  seeing  that  everything  was 


THE  YEAR  1873  203 

secure,  we  lay  down  until  daylight.  Mrs.  Robertson 
slipped  out  quietly  to  bake  bread,  and  later  on  brought 
me  a  glass  of  milk.  "  Well !  is  the  house  down  ?  "  I 
asked.  "  Yes,"  she  replied  ;  "  Soso,  poor  man,  came  and 
told  me  just  now,  ' Misis pau,  "dear  mistress,"  the  house 
is  down  '.  I  felt  more  for  him  than  for  the  loss  of  the 
house,  he  looked  so  very  woe-begone." 

What  a  scene  of  desolation  met  me  when  I  reached 
the  spot !  Every  post  was  broken,  and  the  whole  build- 
ing lay  smashed  against  the  trees  that  were  still  left 
standing.  Even  in  the  midst  of  the  ruin,  I  could  not 
help  being  amused  at  the  easy  way  one  of  the  boys 
was  takmg  matters.  An  old  iron  tank  had  been  carried 
in  the  storm  right  across  the  river,  and  thrown  against 
a  great  neblible  tree.  Abel  was  sitting  on  it,  thumping 
his  feet  against  the  sides  and  singing  his  loudest  in 
Aneityumese ;  he  seemed  perfectly  satisfied  with  himself 
and  everything  else,  hurricane  included ! 

Mrs.  Robertson  persuaded  me  not  to  think  of  rebuild- 
ing until  I  had  more  help,  especially  as  the  hottest  part 
of  the  season  was  nearly  over.  So  I  told  Watata  and 
Abel  that  they  could  go  on  drawing  the  nails  from  the 
broken  timber,  select  the  best  pieces,  and  store  them 
in  the  shed.  I  was  pleased  with  the  care  they  took 
of  everything ;  I  am  quite  sure  I  could  not  have  shown 
the  patience  that  they  did  in  overhauling  all  that  broken 
timber. 

The  natives  had  warned  us  not  to  open  our  doors  at 
night,  on  any  account,  in  case  of  attack  from  the  heathen. 
We  arranged  a  sign — three  sharp  raps — and  to  this  only 
were  we  to  open.  One  night  we  heard  this  rap,  but 
before  opening  I  said,  "  Who  is  there  ?  "  "  It  is  I, 
Naling,"  came  the  reply. 

I  at  once  brought  him  in,  though  surprised  at  his  visit ; 
for  of  late,   somehow,   the   chief  had   not  been   acting 


204  ERROMANGA 

in  a  kindly  way  towards  us.  Not  that  he  had  opposed 
the  work,  far  from  it,  but  he  had  not  given  us  the  help 
and  sympathy  that  we  expected  from  him.  He  was 
evidently  sorry  for  his  conduct,  and  had  come  now  to 
say  that  if  I  would  begin  to  build  again,  he,  with  his 
half-brother,  Numpurom,  and  Nauvi,  were  ready  to  give 
me  help  in  any  way.  "  Is  this  true,  Naling  ?  Will  you 
keep  to  your  word  ? "  I  asked,  and  he  replied  that  they 
would. 

So  we  began  work  again.  As  we  could  not  be  in 
the  house  before  the  winter  months,  I  resolved  to  build 
more  carefully,  and  to  add  a  verandah.  Yomot,  with 
some  of  the  young  men,  went  into  the  bush  to  cut  poles 
for  this  purpose.  It  was  a  very  hot  and  very  wet  season, 
and  after  the  showers  the  sun  would  pour  down  his 
rays  on  us  again  as  steamingly  as  before ;  and  so  we 
worked  under  difficulties.  Sometimes  Mrs.  Robertson 
would  bring  my  meals  down  to  me,  when  there  was  extra 
work.  This  was  often  the  case,  and  then  she  had  to 
walk  on  the  rough  boulders  along  the  shore  as  there 
was  no  other  road.  The  days  were  very  lonely  for  her, 
and  in  the  afternoons,  when  the  people  were  all  away, 
the  place  seemed  almost  gloomy,  so  that  she  would 
often  stroll  down  and  look  on  as  we  framed  the  build- 
ing. 

Now,  besides  the  daily  school  which  Soso  conducted, 
we  had  classes  every  night  for  the  few  who  would  come 
to  us.  We  taught  them  reading  and  writing,  and,  though 
we  were  still  novices  in  the  language  and  had  often  to 
speak  through  interpreters,  we  managed  fairly  well. 
My  knowledge  of  Aneityumese  served  me  in  good  stead. 
And  in  addition  to  Soso's  school  in  the  old,  lime-built 
church,  he  had  a  class  for  instructing  candidates  for 
baptism.  On  Wednesdays  we  held  our  prayer-meeting, 
which  was  well  attended.     Mrs.  Robertson,  in  the  damp 


THE  YEAR  1873  205 

place  in  which  we  were  then  living,  suffered  very  much 
from  fever,  and  was  getting  weaker  every  day,  and,  as 
her  time  of  trouble  was  drawing  on,  I  feared  she  would 
never  get  over  it.  She  became  so  much  worse  one 
night  that  I  roused  the  men  and  asked  them  to  go  in 
the  Yarra-Yarra  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen.  They  were 
then  at  Elizabeth  Bay.  Once  when  Mrs.  Robertson  was 
scarcely  conscious,  I  sent  for  Ohai,  one  of  our  helpers. 
I  said  to  her  as  she  entered  the  room :  "  Ohai,  have 
you  ever  seen  any  one  as  ill  as  my  wife  is .?  "  In  a  loud 
voice  she  replied,  "  Yes,  often  ;  and  they  all  died !  "  I 
soon  showed  her  the  way  out  of  the  room,  for  that  was 
a  poor  kind  of  comfort.  The  next  morning  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Allen  arrived.  Mrs.  Allen  was  most  kind  and 
attentive,  and  it  was  a  great  comfort  to  have  her  with 
us.  My  wife  got  no  better,  and  on  the  i8th  our  child 
was  born — dead.  For  hours  her  life  trembled  in  the 
balance,  and  it  was  not  until  the  next  day  that  there 
seemed  any  improvement.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  had 
gone  home,  but  intended  to  return,  and  the  natives 
were  very  sympathetic ;  they  could  not  have  been  more 
so.  On  account  of  the  heathen  it  was  not  safe  for  us 
to  go  to  the  graveyard  by  day.  So  we  waited  till  night, 
when  Soso  and  I  crossed  the  river  in  a  canoe,  and  in  the 
darkness  I  buried  our  little  child  in  its  tiny  grave,  just 
at  the  feet  of  the  martyred  Gordons.  Mrs.  Robertson 
began  slowly  to  improve.  How  thankful  I  was  that  my 
dear  wife  had  been  spared  !  neither  she  nor  I  expected 
it.  Soso  had  gathered  the  natives  together,  and  they 
were  praying  for  her.  When  she  began  to  improve,  I 
went  in  among  them  and  said,  "  Why !  Soso  ;  Mrs. 
Robertson  is  better ".  "  Of  course,  Misi,"  he  said ; 
"have  we  not  asked  God  to  make  her  well?"  He 
seemed  surprised  at  my  want  of  faith.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Allen  soon  returned,  and  were  very  kind.     Poor  Mrs. 


2o6  ERROMANGA 

Allen  herself  took  ill,  later  on,  though  she  soon  became 
better.  We  felt  very  grateful  to  them  both.  They 
returned  to  Elizabeth  Bay  in  the  Y arra-Y arra,  and  in 
a  few  weeks  we  visited  them  there,  Mrs.  Robertson 
walking  up  the  steep  hill  from  the  boat  without  any  help. 
I  now  hurried  on  with  the  new  house.  I  saw  that 
my  wife  would  never  be  well  while  we  were  in  the  old, 
damp  one.  The  two  men  of  Aneityum  were  my  prin- 
cipal helps  at  the  building.  The  Erromangans  procured 
all  the  timber,  Yomot  especially  being  an  invaluable 
hand  to  go  into  the  bush  for  it.  I  remember  well  the 
day  we  first  raised  the  building ;  the  natives  were  greatly 
interested,  and  helped  eagerly,  bracing  it  roughly  for 
that  night.  By  the  middle  of  April  the  building — 62  ft. 
by  28  ft.,  including  a  verandah  6  ft.  wide — was  finished, 
as  far  as  could  be  done  just  then ;  the  front  of  the 
house  was  all  weather-boarded,  and  two  rooms  plastered 
inside  and  finished  completely.  It  took  an  enormous 
amount  of  thatching ;  when  our  supply  of  sugar-cane 
leaf  failed,  I  said  to  Yomot  that  we  would  finish  the  rest 
with  denyung,  '  reeds '.  But  Yomot  shook  his  head  ; 
"  No ;  we  are  not  going  to  have  our  Misi's  house  badly 
thatched."  He  started  away,  roused  the  young  men, 
and  off  they  went  to  Rampun-tomasi,  a  district  to  the 
south  of  us,  bringing  back  huge  bundles  of  sugar-cane 
leaf.  Yomot  worked  splendidly.  The  site  of  the  house 
had  been  nothing  but  a  bed  of  stones ;  the  south  end  of 
the  building  was  7  ft.  above  the  ground,  while  the 
north  was  2  ft.  below  it.  We  floored  part  of  the  front  ver- 
andah, and,  when  everything  was  done  as  far  as  we  had 
material  to  work  upon,  we  prepared  to  have  the  "  house- 
warming  ".  Watata  and  Abel  cooked  great  pots  of  rice 
all  day,  and  made  tea.  In  the  afternoon  Mrs.  Robertson 
was  carried  down  from  the  old  mission-house,  and  the 
natives  all  followed.     On   arriving,    I   asked    Soso,   on 


THE  YEAR  1873  207 

behalf  of  my  wife  and  myself,  to  thank  the  people  for 
all  the  hearty  help  they  had  given  us  from  the  time 
we  began  building  until  that  day.  The  men  then  carried 
round  the  food,  which  young  and  old  seemed  to  thor- 
oughly appreciate.  We  felt  glad  and  truly  thankful 
to  be  in  our  new  home ;  a  happy  one  it  has  been  to  us 
during  our  long  years  on  Erromanga.  Before  the 
people  left  us,  we  had  a  hymn  and  prayer,  and  then  all 
separated  for  the  night ;  they  had  worked  well,  and  saw 
that  we  were  grateful.  From  that  day  Mrs.  Robertson's 
health  began  to  improve ;  the  new  house  was  very 
healthy,  and  we  looked  forward  to  being  able  to  com- 
plete it  in  a  few  months. 

We  had  not  been  long  in  it,  when,  one  afternoon,  a 
white  boat  shot  into  the  river.  1  was  a  little  startled 
at  first,  thinking  she  looked  like  a  mission-boat.  The 
man  in  her  turned  out  to  be  Charlie,  a  Sandwich 
Islander,  who  was  trading  on  Erromanga.  A  vessel  of 
Captain  Macleod's  had  been  to  his  place  in  Elizabeth 
Bay,  and  had  left  word  that  the  Dayspring  had  been 
wrecked  off  Aneityum,  during  the  hurricane  in  January. 
Mrs.  Robertson  went  away  to  get  our  visitor  some  re- 
freshment, and  Charlie  and  I  sat  in  our  little  sitting- 
room.  He  looked  all  over  the  room  and  up  to  the 
ceiling,  then  said  to  me :  "  Did  you  build  this  house, 
Mr.  Robertson .?  "  I  told  him  I  had  built  it.  "  What  a 
magnificent  house,"  he  said ;  "  dear,  dear,  dear  me ! 
What  a  splendid  house !  "  Then  after  a  few  seconds : 
"  Well,  you  know,  this  is  a  pretty  good  house !  "  Our 
kitchen  was  then  apart  from  the  house,  and  I  built  a 
roofed  covering  for  Mrs.  Robertson  to  pass  under 
on  her  way  to  it  in  case  of  rain.  But  we  were  never 
satisfied  until  we  had  our  kitchen  actually  in  the  house. 
In  rainy  weather,  the  natives  would  all  crowd  in  by  the 
stove  until  there  was  scarcely  room  to  turn  one's  self. 


2o8  ERROMANGA 

In  the  unfinished  rooms  we  used  often  to  keep  food, 
especially  meat.  I  remember  one  night  when  Mrs. 
Robertson  put  a  nice  piece  of  pork  in  one  of  the  rooms, 
and  carefully  covered  the  pan.  In  the  morning,  pork 
and  pan  had  disappeared,  and  the  pan  was  not  found 
till  several  days  had  passed.  It  turned  up  at  last  near 
the  schoolhouse,  a  good  distance  away,  but  the  pork 
was  never  heard  of  again.  The  Erromangan  dogs  had 
been  enjoying  our  dainties.  In  crossing  the  unfinished 
rooms,  my  wife  had  to  step  from  one  beam  to  another ; 
but  we  were  glad  to  put  up  with  these  discomforts  when 
we  were  so  comfortably  settled  in  our  other  two  rooms. 
We  could  scarcely  get  any  fresh  food  from  the  people, 
though  we  offered  good  prices.  One  day  Yomot  shot 
a  pair  of  pigeons,  and  made  us  a  present  of  them.  At- 
nelo,  who  was  cook  at  the  time,  cleaned  them  and  put 
them  in  the  pantry.  In  a  little  he  came  with  a  most 
rueful  face  to  tell  us,  "  The  cat  had  eaten  the  pigeons  ". 
However,  he  would  soon  fix  that ;  we  should  have  a  treat 
that  day.  He  returned  shortly  with  a  fine  old  rooster, 
who  looked  as  if  he  had  been  round  the  Horn  with 
Captain  Cook.  We  heard  the  pedigree  of  this  wonderful 
fowl  before  we  sat  down  to  eat  it.  It  seemed  that 
Atnelo's  mother  had  received  it  as  a  present  from  an- 
other old  woman,  who,  in  her  turn,  had  reared  it  up  from 
its  infancy.  The  two  had  been  companions  for  years, 
and  it  was  only  the  stress  of  circumstances  that  had 
led  to  the  parting.  Atnelo  said  it  was  a  fan  fowl.  In 
Erromangan  fan  means  something  far  above  the  usual 
run.  I  will  not  say  what  we  thought  of  that  rooster ; 
some  things  are  better  left  unsaid.  He  had  probably 
been  a  bit  of  an  athlete  in  his  young  days.  I  know  this, 
that  we  rose  from  the  table  feeling  that  we  had  done  a 
hard  day's  work,  and  that  there  were  twice  as  many 
bones  on  our  plates  as  when  we  began  the  meal. 


THE  YEAR  1873  209 

From  the  heathen,  on  their  way  to  and  from  feasts, 
we  were  sometimes  able  to  buy  food.  To  us,  then,  they 
all  seemed  very  black ;  we  could  not  tell  one  face  from 
another.  Sometimes  a  party  of  them  would  come  to  us 
and  say,  "  We  want  to  go  to  school  and  church,  but  we 
have  no  nemas,  '  clothes '."  Eager  to  get  them  to  join 
us,  we  would  give  each  man  a  shirt  and  netoitingi,  '  lava- 
lava  '  or  loin-cloth.  Very  soon  the  same  lot  would  turn 
up  again,  stark  naked,  had  no  nemas,  but  would  like  to 
get  some  in  order  that  they  might  attend  church  and 
school.  We  did  not  know  them  from  one  another ;  so 
Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  would  give  them  another  new 
set  of  clothes.  Our  Christian  people  had  a  great  laugh 
at  our  expense,  when  they  found  out  how  we  were  being 
"  taken  in  "  by  the  Erromangan  thieves.  When  we  were 
in  the  old  house,  Mrs.  Robertson  did  most  of  the  yam- 
buying,  Woris  Nemetangi  standing  beside  her  all  the 
time.  The  Dillon's  Bay  people  used  to  beg  us  to  buy 
whatever  the  heathen  brought,  and  to  get  them  out  of 
the  valley  before  night,  for  those  were  the  days  when 
the  Erromangan  Christians  had  to  "  fear  God  and  keep 
their  powder  dry  ".  One  day,  when  we  were  buying  food 
from  a  number  of  women,  a  man  darted  out  from  the 
orange-grove  in  our  garden,  where  he  must  have  been 
hiding,  and  seized  a  girl's  hand.  Before  anything  could 
be  done,  he  dragged  her  to  the  river  bank,  and  began 
to  cross  it.  We  were  helpless,  for  he  was  armed,  and 
when  I  would  have  interfered  he  waved  me  back,  saying  : 
"  Leave  us  alone !  this  is  our  affair  ".  It  was  low  tide, 
and  every  now  and  again  the  poor  girl  would  sit  down 
on  a  fish-dyke  that  had  been  built  across.  But  a  knock 
from  the  butt  end  of  her  captor's  gun  would  soon  make 
her  rise  again  and  hurry  across  with  him. 

Towards  the   end  of    1872  we   observed  the   Sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper,  when  a  few  new  members 


210  ERROMANGA 

were  added,  and  among  them  our  faithful  Yomot.  In 
all,  twelve  of  us  sat  down  to  that  solemn  feast  in  the 
old,  lime-built  church  erected  by  the  last  of  the  Gordons. 
Soso  was  settled  at  Rampun-tomasi  soon  afterwards ; 
the  people  received  him  willingly  enough,  but  in  a 
fortnight  sent  him  home  again  ;  they  were  tired  of  the 
Gospel.  Soon,  however,  I  had  three  teachers  settled  out. 
It  was  not  safe  to  go  beyond  seven  miles  south  or 
ten  miles  north  of  us ;  we  could  land  at  Elizabeth  Bay 
and  Sufa,  a  village  near  Dillon's  Bay,  but  one  of  the 
worst  and  most  dangerous  places  was  right  in  our  bay, 
at  a  little  spot  called  Raumpong  and  at  the  southern 
point.  On  Sundays  we  divided  our  company.  Leaving 
some  of  the  strong  men  with  my  wife,  I  would  take 
others,  and,  with  them,  visit  the  villages  in  and  about 
the  valley,  often  going  up  on  the  hill-land  to  the  north 
of  our  house.  The  httle  village  of  Ari  was  a  favourite 
resort  for  us ;  for  the  young  chief  and  sometimes  others 
always  came  to  the  services.  We  used  to  take  advantage 
of  the  feasting  season  to  see  all  the  strangers,  and 
would  cross  the  river  and  walk  as  far  as  the  "  forks," 
where  the  people  often  gathered.  It  was  quite  a 
common  thing  to  see  them  all  disappearing,  as  if  by 
magic,  as  soon  as  I  came  in  sight.  If  we  came  upon 
them  unawares,  we  sometimes  succeeded  in  persuading 
one  or  two  to  stop ;  they  listened  attentively  and  seemed 
to  enjoy  hearing  us  sing,  but  as  soon  as  we  began  to 
pray  they  would  run  away.  By  the  time  the  prayer  was 
over,  there  was  no  one  to  be  seen.  Places  to  which  we 
dared  not  go  overland  could  sometimes  be  visited  by 
boat. 

As  soon  as  we  were  in  our  new  home  we  were  able  to 
give  ourselves  more  to  teaching,  and  every  afternoon 
was  occupied  with  classes.  Mrs.  Robertson  taught  some 
of  the  young  girls,  and  also  several  bright  little  boys, 


THE  YEAR  1873  ^       211 

on  our  back  verandah.  But  the  Uttle  boys  were  very 
rarely  allowed  to  come,  so  that  they  did  not  learn  to  read 
as  quickly  as  she  hoped  they  would.  My  school  was 
conducted  in  the  grass  church  up  the  valley,  and  on  the 
whole  it  was  very  well  attended. 

As  I  have  already  mentioned,  we  heard  from  "  Charlie," 
the  islander  from  Efate,  of  the  wreck  of  the  Dayspring 
in  January.  After  being  a  month  at  Anelcauhat,  the 
ship-wrecked  people  had  been  taken  by  another  vessel 
to  Noumea,  from  whence  they  reached  Sydney.  We 
felt  sure  that  some  ship  would  soon  come  in  the  Day- 
springs  place.  One  afternoon,  the  15th  of  June,  I  was 
in  school  when  Mrs.  Robertson  passed  on  her  way  to 
the  old  mission-house,  where  we  still  kept  most  of  our 
stores.  She  looked  in,  and,  getting  my  attention, 
pointed  out  seawards.  I  knew  what  that  meant,  and 
slipping  out  saw  a  big,  lead-coloured  barquantine  hasten- 
ing across  the  bay.  Mrs.  Robertson  felt  sure  that  it  was 
a  mission-ship,  but  I  told  her  it  was  far  too  big  for 
that,  it  was  probably  a  labour  ship  returning  natives. 
"  You  will  find  that  I  am  right,"  she  said,  as  she  hurried 
on.  So  fully  convinced  was  she  in  her  own  mind  that 
she  was  on  her  way  then  to  get  blankets  and  bedding 
for  the  visitors  she  expected  to  entertain.  I  went  back 
to  my  school  until  four  o'clock,  and  when  I  reached 
home  found  my  wife  busy  making  scones.  "  For  re- 
turned labourers  }  "  I  asked.  "  No  ;  for  missionaries," 
she  replied.  She  was  right,  after  all.  I  determined,  if 
no  boat  came  on  shore,  I  would  go  off  in  a  canoe  after 
tea.  The  Y arra-Y arra  had  been  hauled  up,  and  it 
was  not  worth  while  putting  her  in  the  water  till  it  was 
necessary.  It  was  nearly  eight  o'clock  when,  just  as  I 
was  about  to  go  down  to  the  shore,  I  heard  the  sound  of 
rowlocks  in  a  boat,  and  a  voice :  "  Good  evening,  Mr. 
Robertson ".     It  was   Captain    Jenkins,    and    I    called 


212  ERROMANGA 

back,  "  GcKxi  evening.  Is  Mr.  Annand  there  ?  "  "  Yes  ; 
I'm  here,  Robertson,"  and  in  another  moment  Annand 
sprang  on  shore.  How  pleased  I  was  to  see  him,  a 
friend,  and  all  the  way  from  dear  old  Canada! 

Mrs.  Annand  stayed  on  board,  but  Mrs.  Goodwill 
and  her  child  were  in  the  boat,  and  would  spend  the 
night  on  shore.  My  wife's  blankets  were  needed  after 
all.  We  were  soon  up  at  the  house,  and  got  all  the 
news  from  the  Captain  and  Mr.  Annand.  They  told 
us  that  this  was  the  Paragon,  chartered  for  four  months 
to  do  the  mission  work.  Among  our  letters  was  one 
from  the  Church  at  home,  disapproving  strongly  of  our 
step  in  coming  here,  but,  withal,  assuring  us  of  their 
sympathy  and  prayers.  In  the  morning  I  went  off  to 
the  ship  in  the  Yarra-  Yarra  and  brought  back  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Annand,  who,  with  Mrs.  Goodwill,  spent  the  day 
with  us.  In  the  evening  the  ship  and  our  friends  left 
us,  and  we  were  again  alone.  That  night  we  heard 
the  death-wail  in  the  valley;  the  weird  moaning  was 
kept  up  for  hours.  The  death  was  that  of  Uviyemul, 
who  had  been  married  to  a  Tanna  man.  We  had  visited 
her  daily  during  her  illness,  chmbing  up  the  steep 
hill  to  her  grass  hut,  and  taking  food  and  medicine 
to  her. 

On  the  return  of  the  Paragon  from  the  north  we 
took  passage  in  her.  Mrs.  Robertson  stayed  at  Futuna 
with  Mrs.  Copeland,  while  I  attended  the  Annual  Meet- 
ing at  Anelcauhat.  Mr.  Annand  was  appointed  to  take 
up  work  at  Fila  on  Efate.  1  should  have  liked  him 
to  come  to  Erromanga,  for  there  was  a  grand  opening 
at  Cook's  Bay.  It  was  thought,  however,  that  Fila  was 
the  more  suitable  station  at  that  time,  and  accordingly 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Annand  were  settled  there  on  their  return, 
the  small  island  of  Iririki  being  their  headquarters. 
The  report  from  Erromanga  for  that  year — our  first — 


THE  YEAR  1873  213 

was  regarded  as  very  encouraging.  I  was  able  to  tell 
of  a  teacher  having  been  settled  five  miles  south  of 
Dillon's  Bay,  another  at  Sufa,  one  near  the  south-east 
arm  of  Cook's  Bay,  and  still  another  at  Un5va,  in 
Portinia  Bay,  near  the  spot  of  Mr.  Gordon's  martyrdom. 
Mr.  Inglis  seemed  specially  pleased  at  the  bright  aspect 
of  our  work,  and  remarked  that,  though  they  all  sym- 
pathised with  us  in  our  time  of  trouble  and  loneliness 
in  this  hard  field,  he  was  glad  to  remember  that  from 
the  first  he  had  favoured  our  settlement  on  Erromanga. 
On  my  return,  after  being  about  a  month  at  home, 
I  walked  across  the  island,  taking  with  me  a  teacher 
and  his  wife,  who  were  to  be  settled  at  Impotak,  the 
chief,  Narai,  having  promised  them  his  help  and  pro- 
tection. Leaving  Dillon's  Bay  in  the  early  morning, 
we  pressed  on  towards  Cook's  Bay,  taking  a  short  track 
down  as  far  as  Cook's  River,  which  we  reached  about 
eight  at  night.  Two  of  my  men,  Naling  and  Sempint, 
swam  the  river  in  order  to  get  a  canoe  to  ferry  me 
across.  It  was  half-past  nine  before  the  canoe  came. 
I  thought  it  would  be  best  to  get  my  provisions  and 
other  things  across  first,  and  gave  the  men  all  my 
baskets.  Half-way  across,  the  outrigger  came  off,  and 
the  canoe  was  upset ;  the  baskets  with  my  tea  and  sugar, 
flour  and  bread,  sank  to  the  bottom.  The  men  managed 
to  mend  the  outrigger,  and  ferried  us  all  safely  across. 
It  was  ten  o'clock  at  night  when  we  reached  the  church, 
but,  as  just  at  that  time  no  teacher  was  in  charge,  I 
knew  I  must  depend  on  the  chief  and  people  for  food. 
But  not  a  bite  of  food  was  I  offered.  They  were  angry 
about  a  marriage  that  had  taken  place  shortly  before 
at  Dillon's  Bay,  and  no  one  came  near  us.  The  next 
morning  early  we  started  for  Impau,  on  our  way  home- 
wards. Some  of  the  boys  had  managed  to  get  some 
green   bananas,   which   they   roasted.     I    would   gladly 


214  KRROMANGA 

have  eaten  one,  had  there  been  any  left,  but  all  I  saw 
was  skins.  I  suppose  they  never  dreamt  that  I  would 
touch  such  food.  We  crossed  the  river  again,  and  then 
had  to  walk  several  miles.  I  began  to  feel  very  weak 
and  faint,  for  I  had  had  nothing  to  eat  since  noon  the 
day  before.  The  men  told  me  to  tie  creepers  tightly 
round  my  body ;  they  try  that  plan  themselves  when 
hungry.  I  did  so,  and  felt  some  relief.  But  we  were 
all  very  glad  when,  about  eight  miles  from  Cook's  Bay, 
we  came  in  sight  of  a  neatly  thatched  teacher's  house ; 
we  knew  that  we  should  find  friends  here.  The  chief 
almost  at  once  brought  me  a  roasted  taro  and  a  daintily 
cooked  fowl,  with  a  great  hot  stone  right  inside  of  it. 
Needless  to  say  I  set  to,  and,  with  my  fingers  for  forks, 
I  picked  that  fowl  clean.  By  the  time  I  had  finished 
that  fowl  off,  and  the  vegetable  as  well,  I  felt  really 
comfortable.  We  stopped  at  Impau  until  the  next  day, 
and  the  chief  loaded  my  people  and  myself  with  food. 
The  teacher  Netevisuo  and  his  wife  were  doing  good 
work,  and  seemed  to  be  well  liked.  In  the  morning 
we  started  again,  and  this  time  had  to  walk  inland. 
We  reached  Imelevi  in  the  evening,  and  old  Uluhoi, 
the  chief,  gave  us  a  grand  welcome ;  two  pigs  were 
killed  in  honour  of  our  visit.  I  could  not  touch  pork, 
and  asked  Uluhoi  if  he  could  get  me  a  fowl.  He  hurried 
away  at  once,  and  soon  returned  with  a  fowl  and  about 
a  dozen  of  eggs.  "  You  can  have  the  fowl  to-night,  Misi, 
and  eat  the  eggs  in  the  morning." 

I  did  not  eat  those  eggs  in  the  morning,  for,  with  a 
little  delay,  they  would  all  have  been  chickens.  The 
next  morning  we  settled  Nofen  and  his  wife,  Uvoi,  at 
Impotak,  seemingly  in  very  favourable  circumstances. 
Narai,  the  chief,  pleased  me  by  his  delight  and  gratitude 
at  their  arrival  and  his  thoughtfulness  for  their  comfort. 
The  poor  fellow  met  with    a    painful    accident    shortly 


J.  D.  GORDON'S  GRAVE  215 

after  this.  He  was  cutting  branches  off  trees,  to  clear 
ground  for  a  plantation,  when  his  large  knife  slipped 
and  cut  into  his  left  hand,  almost  severing  it  from  the 
wrist.  He  was  a  fine  man,  a  true  Christian,  and,  some 
years  later,  was  a  martyr  for  the  faith. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  touching  incidents  of  that 
year,  1873,  was  our  visit  in  September  to  the  grave  of 
James  Gordon.  Netai  had  often  been  to  it,  but  by  a 
circuitous  route ;  again  and  again  had  my  people  pro- 
mised to  go  with  me,  but  each  time  had  failed  me.  This 
time  I  made  arrangements,  and  with  a  good  crew  left 
Dillon's  Bay  at  daylight.  On  the  following  morning, 
when  we  reached  Sumprim,  which  was  near  the  spot, 
not  one  of  the  men  would  land.  Though  they  had 
promised  their  help,  at  the  last  their  courage  failed. 
"  What  is  your  reason  ?  "  I  asked.  Their  ansv/er  was, 
"  If  anything  should  happen  to  you,  the  Cook's  Bay 
people  will  blame  us  ".  I  knew  that  there  must  be  some- 
thing else  that  they  were  keeping  back  ;  for,  as  I  said 
then,  they  "  could  have  told  me  this  before  we  left 
home".  I  determined  to  head  the  Yarra-  Yarra  straight 
for  Cook's  Bay  and  find  out  the  true  reason.  We 
reached  the  Bay  in  the  evening,  and  soon  met  the  chiefs 
and  people.  They  had  no  objection  to  my  going,  they 
said.  The  real  reason  of  the  men's  refusal  to  land 
was  fear  of  the  Potnuma  people.  Utevo,  the  sister  of 
Naling,  the  chief  of  Dillon's  Bay,  had  as  a  child  been 
promised  in  marriage  to  the  chief  of  Sumprim.  When 
she  grew  up  and  became  a  Christian,  she  would  not  go 
to  him,  and  her  brother  had  taken  her  part — the  case 
which  is  mentioned  in  Mr.  Gordon's  letter  in  a  previous 
chapter.  I  had  married  her  to  Atnclo  at  Dillon's  Bay 
some  months  before,  and,  Naling  being  one  of  my  crew, 
they  all  knew  that,  should  they  fall  into  the  hands  of 


2i6  ERROMANGA 

the  angry  Sumprim  chief,  not  one  would  escape.  It  was 
of  no  use  to  try  to  persuade  them,  and  reluctantly  I 
turned  back  to  Dillon's  Bay,  entering  the  river  at  sun- 
down. 

After  a  week  at  home  I  asked  for  volunteers  to  go 
again.  There  was  a  hearty  response.  Watata  and  Abel, 
both  Aneityumese,  Yomot,  Ukina,  Woris,  Numpurom, 
Netai,  Noye  and  others — fifteen  in  all — signified  their 
willingness  to  accompany  me.  The  night  before  we 
were  to  leave  Mrs.  Robertson  was  very  much  agitated, 
and  begged  me  to  give  up  the  idea.  I  said  :  "  If  I  dream 
to-night  that  it  is  better  not  to  go,  I  will  stay ;  but 
if  the  dream  points  to  my  going,  I  will  go  ".  In  the 
morning  she  asked  me  about  it.  "  Well,"  I  said,  "  I 
dreamed  I  was  not  to  go."  "  I  am  so  glad,"  she  replied. 
"  But  I  am  going  all  the  same,"  I  added.  I  felt  some- 
thing like  the  Scotchman  who  said  he  was  open  to 
conviction,  but  he  would  like  to  see  the  man  who  would 
convince  him.  Although  she  thought  I  was  very  fool- 
hardy, my  wife  soon  busied  herself  in  packing  my 
clothes  in  one  basket,  and  in  another  a  luncheon  of 
newly  baked  scones,  fresh  butter,  cold  fowl  and  other 
dainties.  As  ill-luck  would  have  it,  that  was  the  very 
basket  that  was  left  behind.  Mrs.  Robertson  sent  a 
boy  round  the  rocks  with  it  in  hopes  of  catching  us 
up,  but  he  was  too  late  and  missed  us.  Just  as  the 
Yarra-  Yarra  was  ready  to  leave  I  told  the  men  all  to 
stand  up.  I  said  :  "  If  there  are  any  women  in  the  boat, 
let  them  get  out  now  ".  Numpuron  turned  to  me,  "  I 
am  not  a  woman,"  he  said,  and  Yomot,  with  one  of 
his  expressive  shakes,  which  in  Yomot  mean,  "  I  am 
ready  for  anything,"  added  :  "  We  are  none  of  us  women 
here  ".  "  Remember,"  I  said,  "  you  are  to  choose  here  ; 
let  any  one  who  is  afraid  say  so  now,  but  I  am  not 
going  to  be  fooled  again  when  we  reach  Potnuma.    Do 


J.  D.  GORDON'S  GRAVE  217 

you  all  go  of  your  own  accord  ? "  "  We  go  of  our  own 
accord ;  we  are  no  cowards,"  was  the  reply  from  all. 
Abel  was  quite  a  young  fellow  then,  and  I  turned  to 
him :  "  Do  you  really  want  to  come,  Abel  ? "  "  Yes, 
Misi ;  I  am  going  with  you  ;   I  want  to  go7' 

The  men  were  all  fully  armed  with  rifles  and  battle- 
axes.  That  night  we  reached  Sumprim,  and  landed. 
We  did  not  want  to  go  to  Potnuma  in  the  night,  nor  did 
we  wish  to  be  seen  going  in  the  daylight,  so  thought  it 
safer  to  stop  at  Sumprim.  We  were  all  hungry,  and  the 
men  cooked  green  bananas,  which  tasted  very  good. 
Some  of  the  crew  slept  in  the  boat,  so  that  we  could 
be  ready  to  start  at  once  in  case  of  attack.  But  not 
a  person  seemed  to  know  of  our  being  there,  and  in  the 
early  dawn  we  slipped  away  again.  The  men  examined 
and  cleaned  their  weapons  thoroughly,  filled  their  belts 
with  cartridges,  and  made  everything  ready.  When 
we  landed  at  Sempiumpu,  four  of  them  were  left  in 
charge  of  the  boat.  We  reached  a  siman-lo,  that  is,  a 
large  eating-house,  and  saw  several  men  just  aroused 
from  sleep.  As  soon  as  they  saw  us  they  tried  to  get 
away,  but  my  men  were  quicker,  and  caught  them  before 
they  could  escape  and  raise  an  alarm.  The  few  people 
in  that  village  could  have  done  us  no  harm,  but  if  the 
inland  tribes  had  heard  of  our  coming  we  might  have 
fared  badly.  For  our  own  protection  we  had  to  make 
these  men  prisoners.  We  at  once  set  to  work  to  gather 
coral,  and  made  them  help  us,  each  Sempiumpu  man 
walking  between  two  Dillon's  Bay  men. 

The  grave  is  near  the  bank  of  the  Potnuma  River, 
a  beautiful  but  lonely  place,  and,  as  we  reached  the 
sacred  spot,  our  hearts  were  too  full  for  words.  I  found 
poor  Gordon  buried  only  a  foot  below  the  surface ; 
everything  had  been  done  in  such  haste  after  his  death. 
I  saw  the  awful  gash  from  the  eye  right  across  his  face, 


2i8  ERROMANGA 

which  had  been  the  death-blow.  As  soon  as  Netai  saw 
this,  he  became  convulsed  with  grief.  He  clasped  his 
hands  together,  leaned  against  a  tree,  and  moaned,  "  Oh, 
my  Misi !  my  dear  Misi !  "  reproaching  himself  that  he 
had  not  cared  for  him  better.  We  dug  a  new  grave 
four  feet  deep,  wrapped  some  of  my  clothes,  which  I 
had  brought  for  the  purpose,  round  the  body,  and  laid 
it  carefully  down.  We  heaped  the  white  coral  over  the 
mound,  and  made  all  as  secure  as  we  possibly  could. 
We  then  sang  a  hymn ;  I  read  a  few  verses,  and  then 
asked  Netai,  perhaps  Mr.  Gordon's  best  friend  on  Erro- 
manga,  to  pray.  Poor  Netai !  he  began,  but  broke 
down  in  tears.  It  was  a  touching,  a  holy  moment  to 
us  all.  There,  beside  that  lonely  grave  where  Gordon 
sleeps,  we  vowed  to  be  faithful  to  our  God,  if  need  be 
to  the  death,  as  he,  too,  had  been  faithful.  After  the 
burial  we  walked  on  to  where  the  mission-house  had 
stood ;  now  it  was  all  pulled  down,  and  everything  in 
ruins.  We  saw  what  roused  our  indignation  more  against 
the  cruel  people,  who  seemed  as  if  they  could  not  do 
enough  to  dishonour  the  holy  dead.  A  large  oil-painting 
of  Mr.  George  N.  Gordon  and  his  wife  had  been  fastened 
to  a  banyan  tree,  quite  fifty  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
arrows  without  number  shot  into  the  eyes  and  other 
parts  of  their  faces.  What  barbarism  is  in  the  ven- 
geance of  the  savage !  We  at  once  had  the  portrait 
taken  down  and  carried  to  the  boat.  Later  I  sent  it 
with  other  things  to  Mr.  Gordon's  friends.  We  came 
now  to  the  great  cave  where  the  people  had  once 
gathered  for  service — a  rustic-looking  spot,  with  the 
green  moss  clinging  to  the  walls  and  dome.  Everything 
reminded  us  of  the  brave  man  who  had  so  often  spoken 
and  preached  the  Gospel  in  that  very  cave. 

Walking   through   it   with   an   iron   rod   in   my   hand, 
I  suddenly  felt  the  "  ting  "  of  metal  in  the  ground.     I 


J.  D.  GORDON'S  GRAVE  219 

called  the  men,  who  soon  cleared  away  the  surface,  and 
there,  buried  deep  in  soil  and  ashes,  was  the  church  bell, 
cast  in  London  for  Mr.  George  Gordon  in  1856.  Wa- 
tata  and  Numpurom  tied  it  on  a  pole,  and  would  allow 
no  one  but  themselves  to  carry  it  the  three  miles  to  the 
boat.  The  men  found  also  M"r.  Gordon's  small  field- 
glass,  two  silver  forks,  a  small  jug,  and  some  other 
articles.  I  heard  that  the  bell  had  been  buried  by 
the  heathen,  who  hoped  to  be  able  to  sell  it  to  the 
traders.  When  we  reached  the  boat,  we,  of  course, 
released  the  Sempiumpu  men.  Just  as  I  was  about  to 
step  into  the  Yarra-  Yarra  some  one  pointed  out  to 
me  Narai,  the  accomplice  of  Mr.  Gordon's  murderer, 
a  man  about  forty  years  of  age.  I  never  saw  the  real 
murderer.  By  this  time  the  people  were  beginning  to 
gather,  and,  as  soon  as  possible,  we  shoved  off.  As 
soon  as  we  were  well  out  of  range  my  men  fired  all 
their  guns  out  seawards.  We  let  the  heathen  see,  at 
any  rate,  that  we  had  been  prepared  for  them.  It  was 
"  home  "  now,  and  just  about  eight  o'clock  that  night 
we  entered  Dillon's  Bay.  The  boat-landing  then  was 
still  up  at  the  old  place.  The  crew  were  all  tired,  poor 
fellows,  and  as  we  passed  up  the  river  I  said,  "  Look 
here,  lads ;  you  have  done  splendidly ;  I  will  not  ask 
you  to  land  me  here ;  we  will  pull  straight  up,  and  I 
can  walk  back  again  ".  Just  then,  Naling  came  rushing 
down,  almost  crazy  with  delight  at  seeing  us  again.  I 
called  to  him :  "  Go  and  tell  Mrs.  Robertson  that  we  are 
all  safe,  and  that  I  will  be  down  at  once  ".  Naling  was 
too  much  excited  for  that,  and  passed  the  message  on 
to  one  of  the  women.  Of  course,  she  did  not  deliver  it 
either.  When  Mrs.  Robertson  heard  the  sound  of  the 
oars,  the  boat  passing  up  the  river  instead  of  stopping, 
she  could  not  understand  it.     The  women,  all  excite- 


220  ERROMANGA 

ment,  were  running  to  hear  the  news,  and  she  called 
to  them  :  "  Where  is  Misi  ?  " 

"  Tawi  iyi"  '  he  is  not  here,'  was  the  reply.  There  is 
no  wonder  that  she  thought  the  worst  had  happened. 
She  ran  from  the  house  all  the  way  up  to  the  boat-land- 
ing, and  when  I  met  her  was  almost  ill  with  fright  and 
agitation.  Just  before  she  saw  me,  she  heard  the  men's 
voices  laughing  and  the  ringing  of  the  bell  as  we  lifted 
it  from  the  boat,  and  so  guessed  that  all  was  well.  I  was 
very  sorry  that  she  had  been  so  much  alarmed,  and 
vowed  then  that  I  would  never  again  trust  a  native  to 
deliver  an  important  message. 

That  night  our  people  were  all  out  of  their  wits  with 
excitement,  and  simply  could  not  think  of  anything  but 
our  return. 


CHAPTER  XL 

SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW. 

On  our  first  coming  to  Dillon's  Bay,  we  noticed  at  the 
entrance  to  the  river  the  rather  novel  sight  of  a  small 
steamer  being  built ;  this  was  the  first  and,  as  far  as  I 
know,  the  only  steamer  ever  built  on  these  islands.  Mr. 
Schmidt,  a  Prussian,  a  very  handy,  neat  workman,  who 
had  been  second  officer  on  board  the  Dayspring,  went 
to  Aneityum,  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  whaling  there ; 
he  had  then  settled  on  Erromanga,  and  was  still  in  the 
whaling  business.  He  found  it  difficult  to  go  round  a 
large  island  like  this  in  a  boat,  and  thought  of  trying 
to  build  a  steamer;  for  he  could  then  not  only  work 
Erromanga,  but  visit  Aneityum  as  well  for  business. 
Meanwhile  he  took  a  trip  to  Melbourne,  and,  on  his 
way,  cut  with  his  jack-knife  a  model  of  his  proposed 
launch.  On  his  return  to  Sydney  again,  he  met  a  Mr. 
Gray,  a  practical  engineer,  to  whom  he  submitted  the 
plan.  Gray  approved  of  it,  and  there  and  then  entered 
into  partnership  with  Schmidt.  The  two  came  to  Erro- 
manga, and  at  once  commenced  the  work.  This  little 
steamer  was  built  principally  of  Erromangan  timber, 
and  was  about  twelve  tons  burden.  They  called  her 
the  Enterprise — an  appropriate  name.  The  boiler  was 
supplied  through  a  firm  of  merchants  in  Sydney,  and 
the  fuel  used  was  wood  instead  of  coal. 

When  we  were  settled  there,  in  June,  Schmidt  was 
away  in  his  tiny  craft  to  Aneityum,  but  he  soon  returned. 

(221) 


222  ERROMANGA 

It  used  to  be  quite  an  event  to  hear  her  shrill  whistle, 
and  see  her  puffing  right  in  to  the  river.  Whenever  the 
whaling  boats  came  back  from  the  open  sea,  boats, 
whales,  and  all  were  towed  in  by  her.  The  partners, 
however,  had  not  much  success  in  the  whaling  line  here. 
Soon  after  we  came,  they  moved  their  headquarters  to 
Elizabeth  Bay,  and,  buying  some  of  the  land  in  that 
district,  they  tried  cotton  growing.  Mr.  Allen  became 
their  manager.  About  this  time  Mr.  Schmidt  entered 
the  labour  traffic,  and  took  a  share  in  the  iron  schooner 
Chance.  He  was  very  little  on  Erromanga  after  that. 
During  the  January  hurricane  their  steamer  was  lying 
at  anchor  in  Elizabeth  Bay,  and  Mr.  Gray  became 
anxious  about  her  safety.  After  much  difficulty  he 
managed  to  get  on  board,  bruised  and  shaken,  and  his 
clothes  dripping  with  wet.  Every  match  that  he  tried 
to  light  failed  to  strike  until  the  very  last  one,  and  with 
that  he  kindled  the  fires,  and,  by  the  aid  of  a  few 
natives,  got  the  Enterprise  out  to  sea.  He  came  into 
Dillon's  Bay,  and  anchored,  but  the  storm  increased 
so  much  that  he  feared  being  driven  on  shore ;  and  so 
he  got  up  steam  again  and  made  for  Tanna.  On  reach- 
ing Bunkil  Bay,  on  our  coast,  the  gale  was  so  strong 
that  he  was  obliged  to  run  in  there  for  shelter.  At 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  little  vessel  dragged 
ashore,  and  all  managed  to  land  by  the  cable.  But 
poor  Gray  and  the  natives  with  him  were  in  a  terrible 
state  of  distress — cold  and  bruised,  and  their  clothes 
torn  off  them  by  the  fury  of  the  storm.  The  Bunkil 
natives  were  wild  savages,  and  the  ship-wrecked  people 
knew  that  they  might  be  killed  at  any  moment.  No 
food  could  be  got  until  after  a  long  time,  when  Gray 
secured  a  small  bunch  of  bananas  by  promising  a  pay- 
ment of  tobacco.  But  so  suspicious  was  the  seller  that 
he  would  not  wait  for  payment  till  Elizabeth  Bay  was 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  223 

reached ;  the  tobacco  must  be  got  from  the  Misi  ^  at 
Dillon's  Bay.  The  ship-wrecked  people  then  started 
to  walk  here,  a  weary  distance  of  twelve  miles ;  they, 
especially  Mr.  Gray,  must  have  suffered  severely  on  the 
way,  for  he  was  barefooted,  injured  very  much  and 
dispirited ;  it  was  a  wonder  he  ever  reached  us.  When 
the  natives  told  us  that  he  had  arrived  and  was  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river^  we  sent  word  at  once  for  him 
to  come  right  across.  We  could  not  understand  why 
the  natives  came  back  without  him,  but  that  was  soon 
explained.  He  was  ashamed  to  come  as  he  was.  I 
at  once  sent  some  clothes  over — the  largest  I  had,  for 
Gray  was  a  big,  stout  man — and  in  a  short  time  he 
arrived.  After  resting  for  a  little,  he  felt  able  to  come 
to  the  dining-room,  but  had  scarcely  sat  down  at  the 
table  v/hen  he  fainted  away.  It  was  several  days  before 
he  began  to  mend,  and  he  was  still  weak ;  he  seemed  to 
feel  very  much  the  loss  of  the  steamer.  When  he  was 
able  to  return  to  Elizabeth  Bay,  we  would  not  hear 
of  his  walking  there,  for  he  was  not  fit  for  it ;  so  the 
Yarm-Yarra  took  him  round.  During  the  following 
winter  he  went  often  to  and  fro  to  Bunkil,  and  used  to 
drop  in  and  see  us  as  he  was  passing.  He  secured  the 
boiler,  and  took  all  the  gear  from  the  ship  that  was 
of  any  use.  The  exposure  in  all  kinds  of  weather 
did  him  much  harm,  and  a  few  months  later,  when  we 
were  at  Tanna,  a  letter  arrived  from  Yomot  telling  us 
that  in  February  Mr.  Gray  had  died.  Some  time  pre- 
viously Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  had  left  Elizabeth  Bay. 
We  learned  afterwards  that,  when  the  poor  man  took 
ill,  he  begged  his  attendants,  who  were  from  the  far- 
away Solomon  Islands,  to  take  him  to  Aniwa ;  but 
they  were  afraid  to  risk  the  journey  by  sea.  When  he 
became  worse,  he  implored  them  to  go  for  medicine, 
but  his  pleading  had  no  effect.    How  sad  to  think  of  him 


224  ERROMANGA 

thus  alone,  among  strangers— and  heathen  strangers  ! 
The  friendly  old  chief,  Nalinewe,  did  all  he  could  for 
him,  but  that  was  little  enough.  He  was  with  him 
the  night  he  died — a  night  of  painful  suffering.  The 
people  had,  according  to  their  custom,  been  crowding 
in  all  day  to  see  him,  looking  at  him,  and  doing  nothing 
for  his  comfort,  of  course ;  and  now  the  two  were 
alone.  Nalinewe  said  that  he  "  moaned  and  moaned 
all  night ".  In  the  early  morning  he  fell  off  the  sofa ; 
the  chief  was  unable  to  lift  him  back,  and  the  dying 
man  lay  in  great  misery  until  he  became  unconscious, 
and  in  unconsciousness  passed  away.  We  felt  his  sad 
death  deeply ;  it  seemed  cruel  to  thmk  of  him  dying 
in  that  lonely  place  without  a  real  friend  near  him. 
It  is  probable  that  on  that  last  day  they  gave  him  neither 
food  nor  water.  We  were  always  sorry  that  he  had  not 
been  brought  to  Dillon's  Bay,  where  there  would  have 
been  some  little  comfort  for  him. 

On  this  occasion,  we  had  left  Tanna  on  the  6th 
of  November.  It  was  a  lovely  morning,  but,  unfortun- 
ately, the  wind  died  away,  and  we  had  to  pull  most 
of  the  way.  Port  Resolution  was  reached  at  eleven 
o'clock  that  same  night.  We  had  made  up  our  minds 
to  sleep  in  the  boat,  but  Abel  slipped  up  to  the  mission- 
house  without  our  knowing  it,  and  told  the  natives  there. 
Mr.  Neilson  was  roused,  and  he  at  once  sent  Abel 
and  one  of  the  teachers  back  to  tell  us  we  were  to  go  up 
to  the  house  at  once.  He  soon  got  us  a  cup  of  tea, 
which  was  very  refreshing  after  the  long  boat  journey. 
We  saw  Mrs.  Neilson,  too,  and  her  tiny  baby,  two  days 
old.  I  spoke  of  starting  for  Kwamera  the  next  morn- 
ing. Mr.  Neilson  said :  "  You  may  go ;  Mrs.  Robertson 
is  not  going,  and  the  natives  are  not  going".  So  we 
spent  that  day  quietly  at  Port  Resolution,  and  the  next 
day  started  for  Kwamera,  on  the  same  coast.     As  soon 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  225 

as  he  caught  sight  of  us,  Mr.  Watt  sent  a  canoe  out 
to  meet  us  and  guide  us  safely  in.  Our  boat  stopped 
there  a  week,  and  even  during  that  short  time  out 
Erromangan  crew  were  in  danger.^  A  tribe,  Uving 
about  two  miles  inland,  had  lost  some  of  their  people 
on  our  island  in  the  sandal-wood  days,  and  they  were 
now  determined  to  take  revenge.  Mr.  Watt  found  out 
that  the  chief  meant  mischief,  and  advised  me  to  get 
the  Erromangans  away  as  soon  as  possible.  On  the 
first  Sunday  Mr.  Watt  had  a  communion  service ;  with 
the  Aneityumese  teachers,  and  our  natives,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Watt  and  ourselves,  we  made  up  a  very  fair 
number.  After  that  the  Yarrn-  Varra  left  ;  Mr.  Watt 
and  I  went  in  her  as  far  as  Port  Resolution,  and  the 
following  day  the  Erromangans  left  for  home.  They 
took  one  or  two  Tanna  men  with  them  to  a  district 
of  that  island  where  the  people  were  friendly.  The 
crew  spent  the  night  there,  and  were  well  treated. 
They  told  me  that,  in  running  across  to  Erromanga, 
they  sighted  a  war-ship.  The  boat  was  hailed,  and 
the  men  asked  where  they  were  from  and  their  business. 
They  told  all  that  was  wanted,  and  were  then  allowed 
to  keep  on  their  course. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watt  arranged  a 
gathering  of  the  people,  and  made  a  great  feast.  Prizes 
were  given  for  sports  such  as  rurming  and  shooting, 
and  every  one  seemed  well  pleased  with  the  entertain- 
ment. I  often  went  with  Mr.  Watt  when  he  visited 
the  different  villages  to  hold  a  service;  the  people 
always  seemed  to  be  friendly,  but  that  was  about  as  far 
as  they  would  go.  There  are  many  beautiful  walks 
about  Kwamera  and  some  very  pretty  streams.  On  a 
lovely  Wednesday  morning,  the  25th  of  February,  our 
baby  was  born — the  nabran  Ipare^  'Tanna  woman,'  as 
the  Kwamera  people  insisted  on  calling  her.     Mrs.  Watt 


226  ERROMANGA 

was  kindness  itself ;  she  knew  far  more  about  children 
than  Mrs.  Robertson  did,  and  "mothered"  both  mother 
and  child.     Mr.  Watt  baptised  the  baby  in  March. 

On  the  25th  of  April  there  was  the  cry  of  "  Sail-oh!  " 
Mr.  Watt  got  his  glass,  and  soon  made  out  the  Paragon, 
or,  as  we  were  now  to  know  her,  the  Dayspring.  The 
passengers — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paton,*  Mr.  Copeland  and 
Dr.  Steel — landed,  and  spent  a  pleasant  time  on  shore, 
and  in  the  afternoon  we  left  Kwamera  for  Port  Resolu- 
tion and  then  Erromanga.  On  arriving  at  Dillon's 
Bay  we  found  everything  in  excellent  order,  and  we 
received  a  warm  welcome  from  our  people.  They  were 
delighted  to  see  the  new  arrival,  and  Numpunia  came 
running  in  great  excitement  to  carry  the  baby  up  to 
the  house.  While  Mrs.  Robertson  was  getting  some 
refreshments  ready,  I  took  Dr.  Steel  up  the  valley;  the 
road  was  very  muddy  and  the  grass  damp,  but  with  all 
the  inconveniences  he  seemed  to  enjoy  the  walk.  What 
a  bright,  courteous  nature  his  was!  always  ready  to 
be  pleased,  always  eager  to  encourage  us  and  to  show 
his  appreciation  of  our  work.  Before  the  ship  left  we 
had  a  short  service  with  the  people,  whom  Dr.  Steel 
kindly  addressed. 

The  Dayspring  returned  from  the  north  on  Sunday 
morning,  the  24th  of  May.  It  was  a  specially  interesting 
day  to  us  all  We  had  the  pleasure  of  having  with  us 
not  only  Dr.  Steel  but  also  three  of  our  fellow-mission- 
aries and  their  wives,  and  a  communion  service  was 
held  in  our  house  that  evening.  Dr.  Steel  preached 
from  Rev.  vii.  1 3 — "  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed 
in  white  robes,  and  whence  come  they .''  "  Mr.  Annand 
and  Mr.  Macdonald  also  took  part  in  the  service.  Dr. 
Steel  wrote  that  to  him  it  was  "  a  deeply  affecting  ser- 
vice and  a  night  to  be  long  remembered  ".  On  Monday 
morning  the  ship  was  dressed,  and  a  salute  fired  in 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  227 

honour  of  our  Queen.  During  the  day  I  took  our  friends 
to  see  the  different  martyr-spots.  After  visiting  the 
graves  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  and  Mr.  Macnair  and 
the  rock  on  which  Wilhams  was  measured,  I  thought 
they  might  be  interested  in  seeing  old  Numpunari — the 
brother  of  Williams's  murderer ;  so  I  took  them  to  the 
place  where  he  was — a  very  old  and  very  feeble  man 
indeed — dying,  for  he  passed  away  soon  after.  Dr. 
Steel  and  Captain  Jenkins  were  very  much  exhausted 
in  going  up  Mount  Gordon ;  they  seemed  to  feel  the 
heat  and  the  steep  climb.  Fortunately,  we  managed 
to  get  some  lemons  off  the  trees,  near  which  the  Gordons 
house  had  stood,  and  though  very  acid,  the  fruit  was 
refreshing,  and  quenched  their  thirst 

Mrs.  Robertson  having  preferred  to  remain  on  Erro- 
manga  while  I  went  to  the  meeting  of  Synod  on  Aneit- 
yum,  we  said  good-bye  and  set  sail  that  same  after- 
noon. But  we  had  scarcely  got  round  the  southern 
point  of  the  bay,  when  my  heart  smote  me ;  I  felt  that 
I  should  have  done  anything  rather  than  leave  my  wife 
alone.  It  was  very  courageous  of  her  to  offer  to  stay 
without  me,  but  I  ought  not  to  have  agreed  to  it. 
When  we  reached  Aniwa  the  next  day,  I  told  Mr. 
Paton  of  my  trouble.  In  the  kindness  of  his  heart  he 
suggested  that  the  vessel  should  go  right  back  to  Erro- 
manga ;  but,  of  course,  I  could  not  expect  that  to  be 
done.  I  cannot  say  that  I  enjoyed  the  meeting  much 
that  year,  and  I  was  very  glad  to  be  on  my  way  home 
again.  When  we  were  leaving  Dillon's  Bay,  Mr.  Good- 
will, one  of  our  missionaries  on  board,  had  arranged 
with  Mrs.  Robertson  that  if  all  was  well,  on  our  return, 
she  was  to  hang  something  white  on  the  verandah  of 
the  house,  where  it  could  be  plainly  seen.  But  when 
the  Dayspring  appeared  she  was  so  excited  that  she 
forgot  all  about  the  "signal".     Mr.  Goodwill  was  very 


228  ERROMANGA 

much  agitated,  and  imagined  all  kinds  of  evils.  Like 
a  wise  man  he  had  told  me  nothing,  and  no  one  but 
himself  knew  what  was  troubling  him.  We  found  Mrs. 
Robertson  well,  though  our  baby  had  been  very  sick. 
The  natives,  too,  had  been  ill  with  influenza,  and  my 
wife  had  had  far  too  much  to  do,  and  very  little  help. 
It  was  a  great  rehef  to  us  to  be  together  again. 

During  his  visit  to  Erromanga,  Dr.  Steel  formed  the 
idea  of  a  memorial  to  all  the  martyrs.  The  sum  of 
forty  pounds  had  already  been  collected  by  Dr.  W.  Wyatt 
Gill,^  after  the  death  of  Williams  and  Harris,  but  at 
that  time  the  island  was  in  such  an  unsettled  state  that 
nothing  could  be  done.  Dr.  Steel  wrote  to  me  suggest- 
ing one  of  three  things — a  tablet,  a  communion  service, 
or  a  memorial  pulpit.  Our  old  church  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  a  hurricane,  and  we  were  worshipping  in  a 
reed  building.  I  told  him  that  a  good  tablet  or  pulpit 
would  be  out  of  place  in  that  church,  and  we  already 
had  a  communion  service.  "  Give  us  rather  a  memorial 
church,"  ^  I  then  said  ;  "  nothing  could  be  more  suitable." 
Dr.  Steel  replied  that  a  stone  memorial  church  would 
cost  at  least  two  thousand  pounds,  and  to  that  I 
answered :  "  A  building  of  stone  is  not  what  we  want ; 
it  would  be  most  unsuitable  in  these  islands.  A  good, 
substantial  weather-board  church  is  the  thing,  and  will 
be  the  best  memorial  that  could  be  raised  to  the  martyrs 
of  Erromanga  ".  Dr.  Steel  then  wrote,  saying  that,  as 
we  expected  to  be  in  Sydney  later  on,  he  would  leave 
all  arrangements  in  my  hands.  But  he  at  once  set 
actively  to  work  and  collected  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  chiefly  from  friends  in  New  South  Wales, 
who  took  great  interest  in  the  memorial  fund. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  following  year,  we  had  a  good 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  229 

deal  of  discouragement  caused  by  sickness  and  death 
among  our  Christian  people.  Very  suddenly  one  day 
Netai  took  ill.  He  had  been  at  Raumpong,  working 
in  his  plantation,  and  when  he  returned  he  said  to  his 
friends :  "  I  have  dug  up  yams,  but  I  shall  never  plant 
them  again  ".  The  next  day  he  became  very  ill,  and 
Watata  came  running  to  me  for  help.  We  hurriedly 
got  a  stretcher,  and  were  carrying  him  out  when  he 
died  in  our  arms.  We  felt  his  death  keenly.  Netai 
was  one  of  our  staunchest  men,  and  had  been  Mr. 
Gordon's  faithful  and  trusted  friend  and  a  true  follower 
of  Christ.  And  this  was  also  a  sad  blow  to  the  Mission ; 
the  heathen,  ever  ready  to  harm  our  cause,  were  now 
saying  that  all  who  took  the  Gospel  would  be  sure  to 
die. 

Very  shortly  after  this,  one  of  the  Christian  women, 
Nuferuvi,  became  very  ill.  We  seemed  to  be  having 
wave  upon  wave  of  trouble,  and  I  felt  that,  humanly 
speaking,  if  she  died,  we  might  pack  up  and  leave  Erro- 
manga.  The  heathen  were  exulting  in  our  sorrow.  They 
had  sent  a  message  to  Yomot  saying  that  they  intended 
to  take  his  gun ;  of  course  that  meant  his  life.  They 
regarded  him  as  the  imfako,  '  the  fighter,'  or  defender, 
of  the  Christian  party.  This  young  girl,  Nuferuvi,  was 
one  of  our  best  helpers,  and  was,  at  the  time  of  her 
illness,  living  with  Netai's  wife.  After  a  time  she 
became  unconscious,  and  we  felt  that  her  death  was 
near.  Mrs.  Robertson  was  with  her  constantly,  but  at 
last  became  so  unnerved  that  she  had  to  go  away.  I, 
too,  left  for  a  little,  and,  as  we  had  been  doing  all  along, 
I  again  asked  God  to  spare  us  Nuferuvi ;  and  in  His 
great  mercy  our  prayers  were  answered.  When  I  went 
back  she  was  sitting  up,  and  in  a  httle  put  out  her 
hand  and  called  for  ?iu,  nu.  '  Water '  was  at  once  broueht. 
and    she    drank    feverishly.        Even    then    she    seemed 


230  ERROMANGA 

scarcely  conscious  of  our  presence ;  her  eyes  were  open, 
and  she  was  weeping.  In  a  few  minutes,  with  a  heavy 
gasp,  she  came  to  herself,  and  I  spoke  to  her.  She 
said  :  "  Misi,  don't  speak  ;  I  have  seen  something  wonder- 
ful ;  I  see  it  yet.  Why  do  you  wake  me  ? "  I  said, 
"  What  do  you  see?  "  and  in  a  little  she  replied  :  " / sazu 
Mr.  Gordon'^  the  Misty  who  was  killed  at  Potnuma,  and 
he  beckoned  me  to  go  where  he  was  and  not  to  turn 
back.  I  wanted  to  go.  Oh!  why  did  you  call  me 
back?"  Her  eyes  were  streaming  with  tears  as  she 
spoke.  For  a  long  time  she  was  still  very  weak,  but, 
thank  God,  was  spared  to  us.  I  believe  our  enemies 
were  actually  chagrined  at  her  recovery. 

This  case  was  a  real  illness  and  no  sham;  but,  un- 
fortunately, some  of  the  others,  seeing  how  much  im- 
pressed we  had  been  by  the  incident,  began  to  imitate 
Nuferuvi's  trance.  One  day  I  was  called  hurriedly  to 
visit  a  woman  called  Namprip.  When  I  reached  her, 
she  was  busy  telling  of  a  wonderful  vision  that  she 
had  just  had.  I  let  her  finish  her  tale,  and  then  said : 
"  Namprip,  you  cannot  deceive  me  thus ;  Nuferuvi's  case 
was  real ;  yours  is  too  much  like  it  to  be  anything  but 
sham ;  this  trance  business  must  stop  ". 

About  this  time  Lo-itevau,  the  chief  of  Sufa,  asked 
for  a  teacher.  Some  of  his  people  were  on  his  side, 
but  others  were  angry  at  the  request.  But  though  he 
could  neither  read  nor  write  he  was  an  out-and-out 
Christian,  and,  nothing  daunted  by  this  opposition,  he 
at  once  began  to  build  a  schoolhouse.  I  decided  to 
settle  there  Nelat,  one  of  Mr.  Gordon's  converts,  as 
teacher,  and  with  him  a  man  called  Netai  and  his  wife. 
She  taught  the  women  to  read  and  instructed  them  in 
many  other  ways,  and  soon  the  whole  village  became 
quite  friendly  to  us,  but  nothing  more.  Strange  to 
say,  that  village,  Sufa,  though  the  nearest  to  Dillon's 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  231 

Bay,  has  long  held  out  against  Christianity,  an3  there 
are  still  a  few  heathen  there  following  their  old  customs 
of  feasting  and  other  religious  observances. 

Mrs.  Robertson  took  such  a  fancy  to  a  bright  young 
girl  called  Lalim  Nimpu,  belonging  to  Sufa  village, 
that  we  asked  her  brother  Naling  to  give  her  up  to  us, 
promising  to  teach  her  in  our  own  home  at  Dillon's 
Bay.  He,  poor  fellow,  was  quite  willing,  but  told  us 
that  she  was  already  sold  to  the  heathen  of  Unepang 
and  that  he  had  no  claim  on  her.  Very  shortly  after 
this  we  saw  the  girl,  dressed  in  long,  trailing  skirts, 
being  hurried  past  our  house  on  her  way  to  Unepang. 
These  people  must  have  heard  of  our  wish,  and  wanted 
to  get  hold  of  her  as  soon  as  possible.  This  young 
Christian  girl,  Lalim,  was  then  not  more  than  fourteen 
years  of  age.  In  Unepang  she  was  surrounded  by 
wickedness  on  every  hand,  for  it  was  the  very  heart 
of  heathenism,  but  instead  of  giving  way  to  it  and 
becoming  as  one  of  those  around  her,  she  taught  her 
husband  to  read,  and  told  him  of  her  God — the  God  of 
love.  The  couple  came  to  our  village  and  lived  near  us ; 
and  the  husband,  Umas,  after  several  years,  died  a  sin- 
cere Christian. 

According  to  Erromangan  custom,  Lalim  then  be- 
longed to  her  husband's  nearest  relative.  But  she  really 
would  not  go  back  to  Unepang.  She  has  lived  with  her 
little  daughter  ever  since  in  Dillon's  Bay  district,  and 
for  about  ten  years  or  more  has  been  one  of  our  best 
and  most  faithful  helpers ;  as  head-laundress  she  has 
proved  a  real  treasure.  She  washes  and  does  up  linen 
beautifully,  takes  such  pains  to  do  her  work  well,  and 
is  always  obedient,  bright  and  willing.  Mrs.  Robertson 
often  says  that  it  is  fortunate  for  her  that  Lalim  elected 
to  remain  a  widow.  Of  course  she  had  first  the  task 
of  teaching  her,  but  then  it  is  well  that  her  trouble  is 


232  ERROMANGA 

being  repaid.  In  many  other  cases,  year  after  year, 
my  wife  has  gone  to  all  the  labour  of  taking  into  the 
house  "  raw  recruits  " — young  girls  who  don't  even  know 
the  name  of  a  single  household  article.  These  are 
under  constant  and  careful  training  for  a  year  or  two, 
and,  just  when  they  are  beginning  to  be  useful,  their 
relatives  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  high  time 
for  them  to  be  married.  We  are  always  pleased  when 
these  girls  are  married  to  teachers  or  those  who  are 
likely  to  become  teachers.  Our  very  best  teachers' 
wives  are  those  who  have  been  under  our  instruction ; 
they  not  only  read  and  write  well,  but  they  are  able  to 
cut  out  and  sew  garments,  and  to  teach  those  around 
them  to  do  the  same  ;  they  wash  regularly  and  keep 
themselves  clean  and  tidy,  and  altogether  have  more 
"  savee "  about  them  than  those  who  have  never  lived 
in  the  mission-house. 

We  had  some  rather  queer  helpers  during  our  first 
years  here.  We  kept  both  cows  and  goats.  Molep 
was  the  goat-herd.  If  he  found  the  goats  anywhere  near 
the  premises,  he  would  bring  them  in  at  night ;  if  not, 
he  never  bothered  his  head  about  them.  For  every 
night  that  they  were  safely  penned  they  were  two  nights 
roaming  the  hills.  I  walked  up  to  the  goat-herd's  house 
one  Sunday  morning.  Molep,  ready  dressed  for  service, 
was  very  religiously  studying  his  Bible.  There  had 
been  no  milk  brought  that  morning.  "  Have  you  looked 
for  the  goats  ?  "  I  asked.  "  No ;  they  did  not  come  in 
last  night."  On  the  flat-land  a  little  distance  from  our 
house  I  found  the  flock,  and  brought  them  down.  My 
"  man  "  was  still  busy  reading  ;  I  said  :  "  Molep,  I  have 
brought  the  goats  ".  "  Ava"  '  indeed,'  he  replied ;  and 
after  a  little  strolled  up  slowly  to  milk  them. 

The  cow-herd  was  Nol,  a  smart  fellow,  who  thought 
that  milk,  pure  and  simple,  was  not  the  correct  thing 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  233 

for  missionaries.  But  I  was  surprised  when  Mrs.  Robert- 
son first  told  me  that  she  beheved  the  milk  was  watered. 
I  told  her  it  could  not  be,  that  a  native  would  never 
think  of  such  a  thing.  One  day  it  would  be  fairly 
good,  the  next  very  weak,  till  one  morning  I  had  to 
agree  that  there  was  more  than  milk  in  what  we  were 
drinking.  The  poor  fellow  had  evidently  been  in  a 
hurry,  and  seemed  to  have  dipped  the  bucket  in  the 
river  as  he  was  passing.  I  decided  to  see  the  bottom 
of  all  this,  and  the  next  day  rose  very  early.  Over  in 
the  cow-yard  was  a  good-sized  tree  with  thick  foliage, 
and  I  sat  on  a  branch  where  I  could  have  a  good  view 
of  the  proceedings.  In  a  little  time  Nol,  with  two 
big  buckets  and  a  pannikin,  came  along.  He  milked 
away  for  a  while ;  then  I  saw  five  or  six  boys,  each 
carrying  a  tin,  come  up  to  him.  Nol  filled  the  tins 
with  the  warm,  rich  milk,  chatted  for  a  while  with  them, 
and  then  called  out  to  the  backward  ones :  "  Come  on, 
boys  ;  bring  your  kapel^  '  tins ' "  ;  and  the  milk  was  ladled 
out  again.  This  was  to  be  used  for  fattening  small 
pigs.  When  they  all  seemed  satisfied,  I  said :  "  Nol, 
will  you  please  leave  just  a  little  for  my  child  ? "  The 
crowd  looked  up,  startled  at  hearing  a  voice  coming 
from  the  tree.  Nol  uttered  a  shout  of  alarm,  and  then 
stood  as  if  he  were  petrified ;  the  boys  scampered  away 
in  all  directions,  and  pannikins  and  milk  were  thrown 
this  way  and  that  I  came  down  then  and  found  the 
culprit  trembling.  "You  are  caught  this  time,  Nol," 
I  said ;  "  now  you  can  set  to  work  and  get  us  some 
milk  for  our  breakfast."  As  far  as  I  know,  that  was  the 
last  time  the  milk  was  watered.  This  incident  gives 
the  reason  for  my  reply  to  a  man  who  persisted,  during 
a  public  meeting  in  Canada,  in  asking  questions  about 
the  Erromangans.  His  last  was :  "  Now,  can  you  give 
any  practical  proof  of  their  advancement  in  civilisation  ? " 


234  ERROMANGA 

"  Certainly  I'   I   replied ;   "  they  began  to  water  the  milk 
lately!* 

After  this  little  affair  of  Nol's  had  come  to  light  we 
had  no  trouble ;  there  was  plenty  of  rich  milk,  and  Mrs. 
Robertson  told  the  people  that  in  the  evenings  she 
would  be  glad  to  give  them  skimmed  milk  for  their  pigs. 
They  did  not  like  to  refuse,  and  all  turned  up  with 
their  kafel,  as  they  call  empty  meat-tins.  But  their 
feelings  must  have  been  very  much  hurt  by  our  discovery 
of  their  "  dairy  business,"  and  almost  as  soon  as  it  was 
filled  each  kafel  was  pitched  away.  Tia,  a  tiny  girl, 
one  of  Rangi's  children,  radiantly  told  us  that  her  mother 
was  so  good  that  she  did  not  throw  hers  away ;  once 
she  wanted  to  do  so  very  badly,  but  atekisah,  she  '  strove,' 
with  her  feelings,  and  only  flung  the  milk  away  when 
she  had  passed  right  outside  of  our  gate. 

In  March,  1875,  we  had  the  rather  startling  experience 
of  a  tidal  wave.  About  nine  o'clock  on  the  evening 
of  the  29th  there  was  a  very  severe  shock  of  earthquake, 
followed  by  a  slight  tidal  wave.  Watata  called  out : 
"  The  boat !  the  boat !  "  and  we  both  ran  as  fast  as 
we  could  to  the  spot  where  it  had  been  anchored,  close 
to  the  old  mission-house.  No  boat  was  to  be  seen. 
With  some  other  men  who  had  joined  us  we  searched 
the  river,  by  the  light  of  torches,  until  we  reached 
the  bathing-place.  There  we  found  the  Yarra-  Yarra 
safely  anchored,  but  damaged.  We  brought  her  down 
the  river  a  little  distance  that  same  night,  and  the  next 
morning  took  her  to  the  boat-house,  hauled  her  up  and 
cleaned  her  thoroughly.  I  intended  to  mend  and  paint 
her  the  following  day.  But  that  same  night,  about 
nine  o'clock  again,  an  awful  earthquake  was  felt,  which 
made  doors  and  windows  rattle,  and  shook  our  house 
to  its  very  base.     Fearing  another  tidal  wave,  Watata 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  235 

and  I  ran  up  to  the  old  house,  and  carried  down  the 
anchor,  dragging  the  chain  after  us.  We  intended 
chaining  the  boat  to  a  tree,  but,  when  we  reached  it,  I 
decided  to  get  the  key  of  the  boat-house,  and  we  would 
run  the  Yarra-  Yarra  right  in.  I  reached  our  house  and 
had  just  got  the  key,  when  I  heard  a  great  angry  roar. 
On  opening  the  door  of  the  room,  to  my  horror  I  saw 
a  prodigious  wall  of  sea,  stretching  right  across  the 
bay,  and  which  appeared  about  forty  feet  high,  come 
rolling  in.  That  instant  I  heard  Watata  calling  :  "  Misi, 
the  sea,  the  sea  is  coming!  Never  mind  the  boat. 
Escape  with  your  wife  and  child  for  your  lives !  "  I 
sprang  into  the  bedroom,  caught  up  the  child  and 
wrapped  her  in  a  blanket,  and,  with  Mrs.  Robertson, 
rushed  out  at  the  backdoor.  The  native  girls  were 
standing  terror-stricken  just  outside,  and  I  told  them  to 
follow  us.  I  called  to  Watata  to  chain  the  boat  to  a 
tree.  Fortunately  he  heard  me  and  did  so,  and  then, 
with  the  Erromangans,  made  for  the  high  ground  at  the 
back  of  our  cow-shed.  On  his  way  he  called  to  an  old 
woman  named  Lalim — the  mother  of  Navusia,  Yomot's 
wife,  who  was  living  near  us — to  run  for  her  life.  But 
she  refused  to  leave  her  charms  and  sacred  stones ;  ^ 
and  climbing  on  a  pile  of  stones  near  her  house  she 
held  on  like  grim  death  to  them  and  to  her  heathen 
baubles.     She  escaped,  but  only  by  about  five  feet 

We  ran  straight  to  the  hill  at  the  back  of  our  house. 
As  we  began  the  ascent,  it  seemed,  from  its  dreadful 
roar,  as  if  the  sea  was  right  upon  us.  It  had  then  reached 
the  stone  fence  in  front  of  our  house.  We  bounded 
from  rock  to  rock  and  rushed  through  the  reeds  and 
scrub,  till  Mrs.  Robertson,  getting  entangled  in  them, 
fell.  I  called  back  to  her  to  run.  She  answered  that 
she  could  not,  but  in  an  instant  was  on  her  feet  and  at 
my  side.     I,  too,   found   it  hard,   for  I   was   trying  to 


236  ERROMANGA 

protect  my  child's  face  and  head  by  holding  the  blanket 
closely  round  her.  She  was  smiling  and  laughing  at  us, 
and  seemed  to  be  enjoying  the  whole  thing  as  a  frolic 
specially  arranged  for  her.  Probably  she  thought  it 
was  a  new  idea  of  ours  to  put  her  to  sleep.  It  used  to 
take  us  till  about  ten  o'clock  every  night  to  walk  that 
child  to  sleep.  That  was  indoors,  this  night  it  was 
out,  and  a  rather  hard  road  to  travel,  but  she  enjoyed  the 
fun  immensely.  We  climbed  higher  and  higher  till  we 
felt  we  were  safe  from  the  sea ;  and,  worn  out,  bruised 
by  knocks  and  falls,  and  our  clothes  torn,  we  entered  a 
small  cave  and  sat  down.  Just  then  we  heard  the 
men  calling  to  us.  I  called  back :  "  We  are  all  here ; 
bring  a  torch ".  They  soon  came  with  lights,  but  at 
once  made  us  leave  the  cave,  telling  us  that  there  was 
danger  from  loose  rocks  while  sitting  in  such  a  place 
immediately  after  a  severe  earthquake.  The  danger 
from  the  sea  was  now  over,  and  the  men  very  kindly 
and  carefully  guided  us  back  to  our  house.  We  were 
still  so  unnerved  by  all  that  had  taken  place  that  I  asked 
some  of  them  to  sleep  on  our  premises  that  night,  which 
they  very  cheerfully  did.  We  gave  them  plenty  of  hot 
tea  and  biscuits,  and  that  night  their  loud  talking  and 
laughter  were  far  from  unpleasant  to  us. 

We  got  up  at  daylight,  and  went  out  to  "  view  the 
land  ".  What  a  desolation !  Our  boat-house  had  been 
new  and  strongly  built.  It  had  a  strong,  swinging  gate 
at  the  sea  end,  with  heavy  hinges  and  padlock.  Inside 
were  boat-sails,  masts,  oars  and  rowlocks.  From  the 
house  to  the  river  we  had  laid  a  heavy  framework  of 
Aneityum  timber  and  rollers,  over  which  we  used  to 
pull  the  Yarra-  Yarra  to  launch  her.  But,  when  we 
reached  the  spot  that  morning,  not  a  sign  of  boat-house 
nor  anything  belonging  to  it  was  to  be  seen — neither 
sails  nor  masts,  not  even  the  iron  rowlocks.     Instead 


SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW  237 

there  was  a  great  heap  of  sand,  and  stones,  and  dead 
fish  in  hundreds.  The  Yarra-  Yarra  had  been  tossed  like 
a  shell  back  as  far  as  the  chain  extended,  and  there  lay, 
her  planks  all  torn  away  from  the  stern-post,  and  the 
boat  herself  half-full  of  mud  and  sand.  And  our  own 
beautiful  front  grounds ;  what  a  chaos  of  disgust  they 
now  appeared !  The  wave  in  its  greater  force  had  been 
received  by  the  river,  but  it  knew  no  bounds.  It  had 
first  broken  on  the  bar,  and  then  swept  on  towards 
our  house,  and  laid  low  on  the  ground  100  ft.  of  a  strong 
stone  fence,  5  ft.  both  in  height  and  breadth.  It  tore  up 
a  plot  of  about  five  hundred  pine-apples,  and,  carrying 
with  it  old  logs  filled  with  slugs,  and  tons  of  fish,  it 
spread  all  over  our  front  premises,  and  had  spent  its 
force  by  the  time  it  reached  the  back  of  the  house,  where 
it  ended  in  only  a  wash. 

So  utterly  discouraging  did  the  place  seem  that,  for 
a  time,  we  despaired  of  ever  getting  things  put  to 
rights.  But  we  had  much  to  be  thankful  for ;  we  were 
all  three  living  and  well,  and  there  had  been  no  loss  of 
life  among  our  people,  nor  any  injury  to  them.  Our 
house,  that  had  cost  us  so  much  labour  and  time,  stood 
high  and  dry  above  all  the  surrounding  waste  Being 
raised  on  a  solid  stone  foundation  five  feet  above  the 
ground,  the  sea  passed  round  it,  not  through  it.  It  was 
firm,  and  dry,  and  clean,  and  had  stood  the  waves  like 
a  rock.  Surely  we  should  have  been  grateful  to  God 
for  His  watchful  care  over  us  and  our  people  had  we  only 
escaped  with  our  lives ;  but  here  He  had  commanded 
that  no  evil  should  come  nigh  our  dwelling.  As  for 
the  natives  they  are  a  law  to  themselves ;  nothing  dis- 
turbs them.  The  huge  wave  had  brought  them  fish  of 
all  kinds,  and  what  cooking  went  on  day  after  day  and 
what  eating!  They  cooked  them  wholesale  at  first  to 
keep  them   from   spoiling,   and   then   boned   them   and 


238  ERROMANGA 

made  them  into  all  kinds  of  savoury  dishes.  The  fact 
that  dead  fish  were  decaying  all  around  them  made  no 
difference ;  they  cooked  and  devoured  the  good  ones 
day  and  night,  their  motto  apparently  being — "  Never 
too  much  of  a  good  thing  ".  We  had  hard  work  to  get 
them  to  set  to  and  dig  holes  in  which  to  bury  the 
hundreds  of  decaying  fish  lying  all  over  the  valley.  A 
great  rock,  which  must  be  quite  twenty  tons  in  weight, 
was  lifted  out  of  the  water  by  the  huge  wave  that  night, 
and  set  down  again  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
further  up  the  river,  where  it  lies  to  this  day. 

After  some  weeks  of  steady  work,  our  grounds  began 
to  look  better.     We  rebuilt  the  stone  fence  much  closer 
to  the  house  than  before,  repaired  the  Varra-  Yarra,  and 
made  a  new  boat-house,  and  after  a  time   the  whole 
place  looked  as  lovely  as  ever.     We  had  almost  resolved 
to  move  our  house  higher  up  the  valley,  but  Mr.  Inglis 
advised  us  not  to  go  to  all  that  labour  and  expense,  as 
such  an   earthquake   and   tidal  wave   might   not   come 
again  in  fifty  years.     So  we  have  remained  here,  but, 
as  our  house   is   only   twenty   feet   above   high   water 
line  and  only  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  sea, 
there  is  always  a  possibility  of  danger  during  a  severe 
earthquake.        Only   one    of   great   severity    has    since 
occurred,  that  of  June,  1885  ;  a  dreadful  one  it  was,  but 
the  sea  did  not  rise.     My  opinion  was  that  the  motion 
of  the  shock  was  then   from  north   to   south,   and   as 
Dillon's  Bay  opens  to  the  west  the  sea  did  not  roll  in. 
I  honestly  confess  to  a  great  dread  of  earthquakes  and 
tidal  waves.     You  can  do  something  in  a  hurricane,  or 
if  attacked  by  a  savage  man,  or  by  a  wild  bull,  which  is 
much  the  same  thing.     In  an  earthquake  you  are  help- 
less unless  you  are  fleet  of  foot,  and  there  is  high  ground 
nezir — and  you  have  time  to  get  there. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS. 

Through  the  effectual  labours  of  one  of  our  teachers, 
the  good  Noye,  we  were  able  during  this  year  (1875) 
to  open  up  a  new  station  at  Rampuntampent.  I  also 
intended  visiting  the  Unepang  district ;  but,  when  we 
were  all  ready  to  start,  Avelavel,  a  friend,  came  to  warn 
us.  "  You  are  not  to  go,  Misi."  "  Why  ?  "  I  asked. 
" Sz  sie  si,  'there  is  something,'"  he  replied,  meaning 
that  there  was  evil  brewing.  Then  he  added :  "  If  you 
go,  they  are  going  to  kill  you  ".  "  Oh,  well !  they  won't 
have  that  pleasure  to-day,"  I  said. 

I  then  told  the  men  to  pull  up  the  boat.  There  was 
deep  enmity  against  us  in  that  wild  district,  and  trouble 
also  between  the  Unepang  tribes  and  the  people  of 
Raumpong,  a  village  in  Dillon's  Bay.  A  "  sacred  " 
man  named  Woris  ^  had  managed  to  get  hold  of  the  butt 
end  of  some  sugar-cane  that  an  Unepang  man  had 
been  chewing,  and  they  all  knew  what  that  meant ;  his 
sorcery  would  cause  sickness  to  that  man,  perhaps  death. 
Woris  was  shot  dead  that  night  as  he  lay  on  his  mat 
smoking,  and  fierce  was  the  anger  between  the  two 
districts.  We  were  in  the  midst  of  dangers  and  alarms, 
and  during  the  summer  these  seemed  to  increase. 

One  day  a  small  vessel,  a  cutter,  came  to  anchor. 
She  was  in  the  New  Caledonia  trade,  and  the  captain 
wanted  to  buy  pigs  and  fowls.  The  first  day  that  she 
was  here,  an  Erromangan,  a  native  of  Raumpong,  who 

(239) 


240  ERROMANGA 

went  by  the  name  of  "  Mr.  White,"  visited  the  ship. 
He  had  been  years  away  from  the  island,  had  only  just 
returned,  and  was  a  thorough  scamp.  "  Mr  White  " 
asked  for  grog.  He  was  refused.  "  We  never  give  or 
sell  grog  to  natives,"  was  the  reply,  and  "  Mr.  White  " 
left  in  a  huff.  The  next  morning  he  sent  a  small  bunch 
of  miserable  bananas  to  the  ship,  wanting  tobacco  in 
return.  He  also  sent  word  to  say  that  he  had  seven  fat 
hogs,  "  so  fat  that  they  could  not  see  out  of  their  eyes  " ; 
if  the  captain  brought  plenty  of  tobacco,  knives  and 
axes,  he  could  have  them.  The  captain  and  mate 
called  to  see  us  the  same  afternoon,  offered  to  take 
letters  for  us  to  New  Caledonia,  and  told  us  of  "  Mr. 
White's "  proposals.  When  the  mate  came  the  next 
morning,  he  asked  if  we  would  give  him  our  mail  then 
or  wait  till  he  had  bought  the  pigs  and  was  coming  back. 
I  said,  "  There  are  no  pigs  there ;  the  captain  is  being 
deceived  ;  these  people  are  a  bad  lot  ".  He  said,  "  Oh ! 
I  think  the  man — '  Mr.  White ' — is  safe  enough ;  he 
says  there  are  pigs ".  I  replied,  "  If  you  will  go,  be 
careful.  I'll  have  our  letters  ready  by  the  time  you 
come  back  ". 

When  the  mate  reached  Raumpong,  he  was  surprised 
to  see  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys  on  the  shore,  all  armed 
with  battle-axes  and  clubs.  He  called  to  them  :  "  Where 
are  the  pigs  that  you  promised  to  have  ready  for  us  ?  " 

Mr.  White  answered  :  "  We  have  no  pigs  ; "  and  at  once 
another  native  began  to  pull  up  the  boat.  The  mate, 
seeing  then  that  he  had  been  deceived  and  that  mischief 
was  intended,  jumped  out,  and  tried  to  shove  her  off 
ag^in,  but  the  men,  standing  over  him  with  their  battle- 
axes,  kept  him  from  doing  this.  In  a  twinkling  the 
rascally  crowd  had  emptied  the  boat  of  all  the  trade 
axes,  knives,  calico  and  a  long  roll  of  Fiji  tobacco,  which 
they  dragged  out,  lopping  it  off  with  their  axes  as  each 


i87S— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  241 

man  and  boy  grabbed  for  a  share.  Not  a  single  thing 
was  left  in  the  boat  with  the  exception  of  one  hatchet, 
which,  strange  to  say,  their  keen  eyes  had  overlooked. 
The  mate  returned  to  the  ship  with  an  empty  boat, 
and  very  much  excited  and  annoyed.  But  it  turned  out 
that  he  had  got  off  much  better  than  he,  poor  fellow, 
knew.  The  old  chief,  Ndvvvai,  had  forbidden  his 
people  to  kill  the  white  men,  but  gave  them  permission 
to  steal  everything  that  they  could  lay  their  hands  on. 
Had  it  not  been  for  this,  the  mate  and  his  crew  would 
have  been  murdered  that  morning,  and  the  boat,  as  well 
as  the  trade  in  it,  would  have  been  taken  by  those 
Raumpong  men. 

The  captain  of  the  cutter  was  naturally  very  much 
annoyed  at  the  way  his  men  had  been  treated,  and  it 
is  said  that  he  threatened  to  return  soon  with  a  man-of- 
war  to  punish  the  thieves.  A  long-tongued  native 
named  Nangerevit,  who  was  on  board,  heard  this,  and, 
though  himself  opposed  to  all  that  his  countrymen  had 
done  and  in  full  sympathy  with  the  captain,  he  at  once 
went  to  Raumpong  and  warned  the  people  of  their 
danger.  The  thanks  that  he  got  for  his  information  was 
that  if  he  did  not  make  himself  scarce  at  once  they 
would  "  do  "  for  him  as  they  would  have  "  done  "  for 
the  white  men,  had  they  been  allowed.  As  for  a  man- 
of-war,  if  it  came,  and  its  natemenok,  '  chief,'  but  touched 
a  tree  or  canoe  of  theirs,  they  would  revenge  them- 
selves on  the  Misi  as  soon  as  the  ship  left;  the  Misi 
had  been  on  board  the  cutter  and  the  captain  had  been 
at  his  house;  they  were  both  white;  //ley  must  be 
brothers.  Just  about  this  time,  a  cruel  murder  took 
place  within  a  mile  of  where  we  were  living.  A  young 
man  named  Noye,  who  wished  to  renounce  heathenism, 
was  staying  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and  one  evening  strolled 
up  the  valley  to  a  spot  where  some  of  his  people  were 


242  ERROMANGA 

feasting.  Returning,  he  passed  about  forty  men  gathered 
near  a  large  house  ;  then  thinking,  perhaps,  that  they 
might  judge  him  cowardly,  he  turned  back  to  talk  to 
his  supposed  friend,  a  chief.  After  a  few  minutes,  at  a 
sign  from  this  man,  another  stole  up  behind  Noye, 
dashed  his  battle-axe  over  his  victim's  head  and  right 
into  his  heart.  With  this  death-wound  the  poor  fellow 
rushed  against  the  thatched  walls  of  the  house,  then 
fell,  covered  with  blood,  on  the  stony  ground  outside. 
The  murderers,  of  course,  fled  at  once.  On  hearing  the 
news  we  hurried  to  the  spot,  and  found  poor  Noye 
lying  dead  near  the  feasting-house,  his  heart  cut  right 
open.  All  was  excitement  and  confusion  after  this 
cruel  affair.  Noye's  murderers  were  people  of  the 
districts  near  Raumpong,  and,  of  course,  this  only  added 
to  the  prevalent  feeling  of  enmity  and  distrust.  For  a 
long  time  this  state  of  things  continued.  In  passing 
their  village  on  the  shore,  when  we  were  visiting  places 
to  the  south  of  Dillon's  Bay,  we  used  to  keep  the  boat 
well  out  of  range  of  their  muskets ;  they  dared  not 
attempt  to  follow  us  in  their  miserable  canoes. 

Hoping  to  make  matters  easier  for  them  if  a  man-of- 
war  should  come,  I  sent  a  message  by  Naling,  the 
Christian  chief,  offering  to  take  charge  of  any  of  the 
stolen  trade  that  they  still  had,  if  they  would  give  it 
up.  They  sent  word  that  they  had  given  the  trade 
hither  and  thither  to  their  friends,  and  as  for  the  tobacco 
it  had  long  since  passed  into  smoke.  In  any  case, 
they  added,  they  would  not  have  given  up  an  article 
to  any  person ;  they  had  taken  it  and  it  was  theirs ;  the 
ship  was  a  nasty  ship  that  would  only  buy  pigs  and 
fowls,  while  they  wished  to  sell  anything  they  liked 
and  get  anythmg  they  wanted  in  return.  That  was 
free  trade — all  on  one  side,  however.  They  repeated 
the  old  threat,  that  the   Christian  party  would   suffer, 


i875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  243 

should  they  be  punished.  I  was  the  one  they  specially 
named,  and,  failing  me,  Yomot,  who,  they  said,  was 
the  "  strong "  man  among  us.  They  sent  word  to  us 
that  they  were  going  to  burn  the  mission-house  and 
drive  the  Misi  and  his  family  into  the  sea.  They  were 
going  to  take  Yomot's  gun.  Yomot's  reply  was  short 
and  to  the  point — "  And  what  do  you  think  we  shall 
be  doing  all  that  time  ". 

Some  time  after  this  Captain  Caffin,  of  H.M.S. 
Beagle,  called  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and,  hearing  of  the 
trouble,  said  he  would  like  to  go  and  talk  to  those 
Raumpong  natives,  and  asked  me  to  go  with  him  to 
interpret  his  words.  The  Captain  spoke  calmly  but 
very  firmly  to  them  of  their  cruel  murder  of  Noye 
and  then  of  their  repeated  threats  against  me  and  our 
Christian  people.  He  refused  to  shake  hands  with  the 
murderer,  whom  they  trotted  out  as  a  good  ivaiTior, 
saying  he  had  killed  many  men  in  his  time.  "  You 
coward,"  he  said ;   "  you  deserve  to  swing  for  it ". 

I  tried  to  ask  Captain  Caffin  not  to  say  anything  more, 
for  I  knew  the  Erromangans ;  you  cannot  force  them. 
But  he  added :  "  Now  I  am  going  away,  but  I  shall 
be  back  again,  and  I  warn  you  that  if  you  touch  a  hair 
of  this  gentleman's  head  I  will  give  you  a  dressing 
that  you  will  never  forget  as  long  as  you  live  ".  I 
hoped  to  be  able  to  turn  this  warning  of  Captain  Caffin's, 
as  he  pointed  to  my  bald  head,  into  a  joke,  as  I  saw 
he  had  gone  far  enough,  but  it  was  too  late.  They 
were  angry,  thoroughly  roused,  and  Sorifu,  an  under 
chief,  turned  to  the  people  and  said  "  Utepu,'  '  don't  you 
answer  him '.  It  was  only  after  we  reached  my  own 
house  that  I  told  the  Captain  the  meaning  of  this ; 
they  would  not  hear  anything  now,  and  things  seemed 
to  be  in  a  worse  state  of  anger  than  before. 

The  way  in  which,  at  last,  the  enmity  of  the  Raum- 


244  ERROMANGA 

pong  tribe  ceased  was  strange.  Returning  from  one 
of  their  great  heathen  feasts  some  time  after  this, 
Novvvai,  the  old  chief,  died  on  the  road.  Another  man 
of  the  same  name,  the  sorcerer  or  priest  of  the  village, 
also  took  ill  on  the  road,  and  lost  one  of  his  eyes  by 
that  sickness.  And  there  had  been  other  deaths 
among  the  people.  The  Christian  natives  looked  upon 
all  this  as  God's  judgment  upon  the  wicked  people 
for  their  murder  of  Noye  and  their  attack  upon  the 
boat  belonging  to  the  cutter.  When  Navusia,  Yomot's 
wife,  heard  of  the  death  of  a  Raumpong  man  named 
Woris,  though  she  was  a  gentle,  sincere  Christian,  she 
could  not  restrain  her  satisfaction,  for  she,  too,  had 
suffered  by  the  cruelty  of  his  people.  ^'  Kompol/4gt^ 
kompalugi,  '  thank  you,  thank  you,' "  she  said,  clap|jing 
her  hands  in  her  pleasure ;  "  this  is  good  news ;  this  is 
sweet ;  thank  you,  thank  you  ;  I  have  now  my  revenge 
for  the  murder  of  my  child  Noye  ". 

In  January,  1876,  our  son  was  bom.  Of  course,  as  a 
boy — a  natemenok^ '  a  chief — there  was  a  great  fuss  made 
over  him.  His  faithful  and  loving  old  nurse,  Navusia, 
looked  upon  him  as  gold-dust.  She  would  tiptoe  about 
the  room  when  he  was  sleeping,  or  sit  down  adoringly 
beside  him,  fanning  him  from  the  flies  and  the  heat, 
and  keeping  a  strict  guard  on  the  door,  letting  no  one 
enter  the  room,  except  his  mother  as  a  great  favour 
now  and  again,  to  whom,  however,  she  would  only  speak 
in  hushed  whispers.  I  believe  if  Navusia  had  had  her 
own  way  she  would  have  sent  us  all  up  the  valley 
every  time  the  young  gentleman  chose  to  sleep,  in  order 
that  they  might  have  the  whole  house  to  themselves 
and  that  no  sound  might  disturb  his  lordly  repose.  The 
natives  would  never  deny  our  children  anything ;  would 
spoil  them  by  misdirected  kindness,  and,  indeed,  would 


i875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  245 

sometimes  almost  resent  our  reproving  them  for  anything. 
They  looked  upon  them  as  their  very  own,  and  were  and 
are  still  passionately  fond  of  them.  I  have  known  our 
children  to  scream  with  fright  on  seeing  a  strange  white 
face,  and  to  rush  for  protection  to  their  black  nurses.  It 
was  often  through  the  little  ones  that  we  gained  friends 
among  the  heathen ;  for  they  had  no  fear  of  any  black 
face,  but  looked  upon  them  all  as  friends,  and,  of  course, 
put  there  specially  to  do  their  bidding.  It  is  rather 
amusing  to  notice  the  pompous  "  do  as  you're  told " 
style  in  which  white  children,  in  these  islands,  lord  it 
over  the  natives,  old  and  young.  A  few  years  ago 
Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  had  both  been  ill  with  fever, 
and  unable  to  go  to  the  dining-room  for  meals.  One 
day  I  was  much  better  and  strolled  out  to  the  room 
a  little  after  one  o'clock.  The  table  was  carefully  laid, 
and  there  seemed  to  be  abundance  of  food.  Our  little 
four-year-old  Mabel  was  there,  perched  up  on  her  high 
chair,  as  solemn  as  a  judge,  eating  a  little  of  everything, 
a  woman  standing  behind  her  prompt  to  obey  every 
order,  while  our  dear  old  cook,  Ohai,  hovered  in  the 
background  of  the  kitchen  ready  to  cook  anything  what- 
ever that  the  child  might  fancy.  Mabel  had  a  good 
deal  of  trouble  in  mastering  the  younger  girls,  who 
looked  upon  an  order  from  her  as  a  huge  joke,  and 
would  giggle  every  time  she  gave  one.  However,  she 
persevered,  and,  by  giving  her  commands  very  pom- 
pously, she  managed  after  a  while  to  let  them  know 
who  was  "  boss,"  always  being  careful  to  add,  with  as 
much  dignity  as  her  height  would  allow,  "  and  see  that 
you  don't  break  my  word  ". 

The  year  that  Gordon  was  born,  the  Synod  was  to 
be  held  at  Nguna,  and  we  intended  to  go  ;  that  is,  I 
would  go  to  the  meeting,  while  Mrs.  Robertson  would 
accept  Mrs.  Mackenzie's  long-standing  invitation  to  stay 


246  ERROMANGA 

with  her  at  Erakor.  Within  a  few  days  of  the  time  that 
we  expected  the  Dayspring  to  arrive  at  Erromanga,  our 
Christian  people  joined  with  us  in  observing  the  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  was  a  well-attended  and 
hearty  service,  and  we  all  felt  that  we  had  cause  for 
thanksgiving  that  our  Father  had  brought  us  safely 
through  the  trials  and  dangers  of  the  past  months.  We 
hoped  that  the  people  who  had  come  to  it  from  a  distance 
would  stay  until  the  arrival  of  the  Dayspring,  as  we 
intended  to  kill  a  bullock  and  wanted  the  ship  to  have 
some  of  the  fresh  beef.  But  on  Monday  morning 
the  Cook's  Bay  people  became  impatient  to  get  home, 
so  we  decided  to  kill  the  animal  at  once.  We  divided 
most  of  the  beef  among  those  assembled,  keeping  a 
portion  for  the  Raumpong  tribe  and  also  a  small  roast 
for  ourselves.  Towards  evening,  Naling  and  I  went  in 
the  canoe  to  Raumpong,  taking  the  chief  his  share  of 
the  beef.  Just  as  we  were  pushing  off  again,  I  called 
back  to  him  and  to  his  people  bidding  them  be  sure, 
if  they  should  see  the  Dayspring,  to  send  some  one  to 
let  us  know.  I  had  scarcely  said  the  words  when,  turn- 
ing, I  saw  something  like  the  tops  of  three  small  trees 
above  the  rocks  at  the  southern  point  of  the  bay.  I 
said  to  Naling  :  "  Look !  what  is  that  ?  "  His  reply  was  a 
wild  shout  of  "  Sail-oh !  Sail-oh — ^wi !  "  and,  sure  enough, 
in  another  minute  the  Dayspring  came  in  full  sight. 
Two  boats  were  towing  the  vessel,  for  there  was  not  a 
breath  of  wind.  About  the  same  time  that  we  saw 
the  ship,  she  was  sighted  from  the  mission-station,  and 
we  could  distinctly  hear  the  shouting  of  the  people. 
None  but  those  who  know  what  it  is  to  be  weeks  and 
months  (the  calls  were  made  once  a  year  at  one  time) 
without  hearing  from  the  outside  world  can  realise  what 
we  felt  at  such  a  time.  Our  natives  knew  that  they 
could  not  shout  too  loudly  for  our  pleasure ;   there  was 


i875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  247 

always  a  call  when  any  ship  was  sighted,  but  when  our 
own  ship,  the  tidy  Dayspring,  used  to  appear,  the  excite- 
ment knew  no  bounds.  Of  course,  we  would  be  ex- 
pecting her  for  days  and  even  weeks  beforehand ;  then 
one  day  we  would  hear  a  faint  "  coo-ee  "  from  a  distant 
headland,  for  some  one  had  seen  a  "  speck "  away  to 
the  south.  All  would  be  disturbing  uncertainty  for  a 
little ;  then,  perhaps  in  a  few  minutes,  or  hours,  as  the 
case  might  be,  the  calling  would  become  louder,  and 
when  she  appeared  round  the  point,  caught  up  by  one 
and  another,  came  the  long  drawn-out,  thrilling  "  Sail-oh! 
Sail-oh — wi !  "  Who  could  mistake  that  call  ? — the  dear 
old  Dayspring  call,,  that  meant  so  much  to  us ;  friends 
and  letters  from  dear  ones  were  coming  nearer  every 
minute,  and  the  natives  had  our  full  consent  to  shout 
themselves  hoarse,  for  was  not  "  the  little  white  ship " 
worth  it. 

This  day,  when  the  vessel  after  a  long  time  came  to 
anchor,  the  natives  fired  a  salute  of  welcome.  We  were 
rather  surprised  that  there  was  no  response,  and  when, 
soon  after,  a  boat  approached  the  shore,  our  men  fired 
again,  right  over  the  heads  of  the  passengers.  Mr. 
Neilson  called  out :  "  Is  that  the  way  you  welcome  your 
visitors  ?  "  and  to  our  amusement  we  heard  that  the 
firing  had  occasioned  some  alarm  among  those  on  board. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watt  and  Mr.  Neilson  were  the  only 
passengers  who  came  on  shore  that  evening ;  they  re- 
mained an  hour  or  two,  and  the  next  morning  all  our 
friends  came  in  and  spent  the  day  with  us.  There  were, 
besides  those  already  mentioned,  Mrs.  Neilson,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Inglis  and  Mr.  Copeland,  who  had  lost  his  wife 
just  a  little  before  this.  We  enjoyed  very  much  having 
them  all  in  our  house.  We  were  able  after  all  to  give 
them  fresh  beef  for  dinner ;  some  of  them  had  not 
tasted  it  for  many  a  day. 


248  ERROMANGA 

We  were  told  that  during  the  afternoon  of  the  day 
she  arrived  here,  the  Dayspring  lay  becalmed  off  Bunkil, 
and  began  to  drift  closer  and  closer  in  to  the  shore. 
The  boats  were  lowered,  and  at  last  succeeded  in  pulling 
her  out  of  danger.  During  this  anxious  time,  Mrs.  Inglis 
was  vainly  trying  to  comfort  the  younger  missionaries 
and  their  wives  with  the  assurance  that,  should  the  vessel 
drift  on  to  the  rocks,  which  it  was  quite  certain  she 
would,  they  would  all  be  cooked  and  eaten  by  the 
savages  of  Bunkil.  But  there  is  many  a  slip  'twixt  cup 
and  lip ;  and  this  good,  shrewd  woman,,  though  usually 
correct  in  her  judgment,  was  quite  wrong  this  time. 
The  ship  did  not  drift  on  to  the  rocks,  and  the  cannibal 
"  Bunkilites  "  missed  their  prey. 

We  had  a  good  run  from  Dillon's  Bay  to  Fila  (or 
Vila)  Harbour,  and  Mr.  Annand  soon  came  off  to  us 
in  his  boat  The  mission-station  on  Iririki  was  looking 
its  loveliest,  the  garden  full  of  flowers,  and  roses  every- 
where. I  think  Mr.  Annand  said  he  had  counted 
five  hundred  rose-buds  one  morning  at  Christmas.  We 
took  up  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Annand  and,  at  Erakor,  Mr. 
Mackenzie,  leaving  my  wife  and  children  with  Mrs. 
Mackenzie  until  our  return.  Mrs.  Neilson  stayed  with 
her  sister,  Mrs.  Macdonald,  at  Havannah  Harbour. 
During  the  meeting  at  Nguna,  it  was  decided  that  Mr. 
Annand  should  be  transferred  from  Iririki  to  Anelcauhat, 
on  Aneityum,  the  station  which  had  been  Dr.  Geddie's 
for  so  many  years.  Mr.  Inglis  was  intending  to  leave 
the  islands,  and  Mr.  Murray  had  already,  on  account 
of  his  wife's  ill-health,  returned  to  the  Colonies.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Annand  could  not,  of  course,  leave  Iririki 
that  trip,  as  the  house  had  to  be  taken  down  and  every- 
thing packed  up  first ;  they  came  south  to  Aneityum 
the  following  trip  of  the  vessel. 

On  our  return  from  Nguna,  just  as  we  reached  Dillon's 


1875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  249 

Bay,  rain  began  to  fall — as  it  only  can  fall  in  the  tropics 
■ — and  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind.  For  four  days 
the  Day  spring  lay  becalmed,  and  we  had  all  the  southern 
missionaries  and  their  families  with  us  on  shore.  We 
enjoyed  very  much  the  unexpected  visit.  The  rain 
fell  in  torrents,  but  we  were  all  safe  and  comfortable, 
and  the  native  helpers  were  kind  and  willing  to  do  any- 
thing for  us.  In  addition  to  the  missionaries  and 
Captain  Braithwaite,  of  the  Dayspring,  we  had  Captain 
Caffin  (Lieut.-Commander,  as  he  was  then)  and  Lieut. 
Horsley,  both  of  H.M.S.  Beagle,  with  us.  When,  after 
her  former  visit  in  March,  the  Beagle  was  leaving  the 
bay,  she  lost  one  of  her  boats.  A  heavy  sea  had  come 
on,  rolling  in  from  the  west.  Captain  Caffin  got  up 
anchor,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  he  succeeded 
in  beating  out  to  sea.  So  strong  was  the  wind,  and 
such  a  heavy  sea  running,  that  one  of  the  small  boats 
was  washed  overboard.  It  drifted  round  into  Portinia 
Bay,  and  Naling,  the  teacher  there,  and  one  of  his  men, 
managed  to  secure  it,  and  then  sent  me  word.  The 
Dayspring  met  the  Beagle  on  the  way  to  Nguna,  and 
Captain  Caffin  was  delighted  when  he  heard  that  his 
boat  was  safe.  Captain  Braithwaite  lent  him  one  of  the 
Erromangans  he  had  on  board  as  boat's  crew  to  pilot 
the  Beagle  round  to  Portinia  Bay.  The  two  ships  left 
for  Erromanga  at  the  same  time ;  we  arrived  in  Dillon's 
Bay  on  a  Saturday  evening,  and  the  Beagle  came  to 
anchor  on  Sunday  morning,  with  the  missing  boat  on 
board.  Captain  Caffin  gave  fifteen  shillings  to  the 
teacher  and  five  shillings  to  the  young  man  who  helped, 
and  when  he  reported  the  matter  to  the  Admiral  a  letter 
was  at  once  very  kindly  sent,  thanking  the  teacher  for  his 
care  of  the  boat. 

During  the   Sunday  that  our  friends  were  with  us, 
Mr.  Inglis  christened  our  baby  boy,  Gordon ;   so  named 


250  ERROMANGA 

for  the  martyr-brothers  of  Erromanga.  NaUng,  the 
chief's  httle  son,  was  also  to  get  his  name  that  day, 
but,  though  we  asked  Mr.  Inghs  to  baptise  our  child, 
I  was  desirous  to  baptise  Naling's  boy  myself,  for  he 
was  one  of  my  own  people.  However,  Mr.  Inglis 
settled  the  matter.  "  Oh !  there  is  no  necessity  for  that 
at  all,"  he  said ;  "  I'll  just  baptise  them  both."  And  he 
did.     Mr.  Neilson  gave  a  very  fine  address. 

The  Beagle  stayed  for  some  time  after  the  other  ship 
left.  Captain  Caffin  used  to  go  up  for  a  swim  in  the  river 
every  morning  about  six  o'clock,  and  would  take  nothing 
to  eat  then ;  we  wanted  him  to  join  us  at  breakfast  on 
shore,  but  he  always  insisted  on  going  off  to  the  ship. 
I  warned  him  that  he  would  take  fever,  but  he  thought 
he  was  fever-proof.  However,  one  morning  he  came 
down  shivering,  and  said :  "  I  think  I  will  take  a  cup  of 
tea  or  coffee  before  going  off ;  I  feel  cold  ".  I  knew  at 
once  that  he  was  in  for  a  good  dose  of  fever,  but  he 
would  not  hear  of  that ;  it  was  merely  a  "  headache  ". 
He  spent  that  night  on  shore,  and  for  eight  days  could 
not  leave  his  room,  being  stricken  heavily  with  fever 
and  ague.  On  Sunday  nights  the  blue-jackets  were  all 
on  shore ;  Mr.  Horsley  was  very  fond  of  music,  and  we 
had  splendid  singing — a  real  service  of  song.  They 
were  a  fine  lot  of  men.  Captain  Caffin  suffered  very 
much,  and,  even  when  recovering,  he  was  very  weak  ; 
so  I  advised  him,  for  his  own  sake,  to  get  on  board  his 
ship  and  go  right  away.  I  felt  sure  he  would  be 
quite  well  as  soon  as  he  had  his  work  to  think  about. 
It  seemed  rather  mean  to  hurry  a  man  just  recovering 
from  fever  away  from  us,  but  it  was  just  the  one  thing 
needed  to  complete  the  cure,  and  he  was  quite  well 
again  before  the  Beagle  had  reached  her  next  port  of  call 

When  the  Dayspring  called  at   Dillon's   Bay,   wilh 


i875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  251 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Annand  on  board  on  their  way  to  Aneit- 
yum,  we  were  all  ready  for  our  trip  to  Cook's  Bay,  on 
the  east  coast  of  our  own  island.  We  had  long  been 
planning  a  lengthy  visit  there,  and  had  decided  to  go 
by  this  trip  of  the  vessel,  and  to  spend  the  summer 
months  at  that  east  station.  Mr.  Annand's  house,  from 
Iririki,  that  is,  the  frame,  weather-boarding  and  corru- 
gated iron,  was  passed  over  to  me  for  Cook's  Bay, 
if  I  could  not  get  an  opening  at  Portinia  Bay,  and  the 
material  was  now  landed  at  Dillon's  Bay.  We  had  a 
rather  rough  passage  in  the  Dayspring  round  to  Cook's 
Bay.  Captain  Braithwaite  insisted  on  towing  my  fine 
boat,  the  Yarra-  Yarra,  instead  of  taking  her  on  board, 
and  put  two  Erromangans  in  her  to  steer  her.  At  dusk, 
it  became  so  stormy  that  I  would  not  allow  the  men 
to  remain  in  the  boat  for  fear  she  should  swamp.  I 
tried  to  get  the  captain  to  take  her  on  board  then,  but 
he  would  not  hear  of  it.  During  the  night  he  called  me 
to  say  that  he  was  going  to  cut  the  boat  adrift,  that 
she  was  bumping  against  the  ship  and  was  full  of  water 
herself.  I  told  him  he  could  do  as  he  liked  about  that 
now,  but  as,  in  the  first  place,  he  had  refused  to  carry 
the  boat  on  deck,  he  must  either  land  her  at  my  station 
or  replace  her  by  one  just  as  good.  He  did  not  cut 
her  adrift.  The  next  day  Mrs.  Robertson,  the  two 
children  and  myself  were  landed  at  Cook's  Bay,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Annand  going  on  shore  with  us.  Crowds  of 
natives  met  us  on  the  beach,  and  carried  our  stores  and 
other  baggage  up  to  the  church.  It  was  an  enormous 
grass  building,  and  one  end  of  it  had  been  partitioned  off 
by  a  reed  wall  for  our  dwelling-house.  There  was  only 
the  one  room — a  big,  bare  place.  The  only  article  of 
furniture  when  we  arrived  was  a  huge,  raised  bed,  made 
of  rough  poles  and  bamboo.  That  first  night,  Mrs. 
Annand  and  Mrs.  Robertson,  with  the  children,  shared 


252    -  ERROMANGA 

this  wonderful  room  and  bed,  while  Mr.  Annand  and  I 
vainly  tried  to  sleep  on  a  reed  bed  placed  against  the 
open-work  wall  of  the  church.  Every  one  that  has  tried  a 
native-made  bed,  whether  of  reeds  or  bamboos,  knows 
its  unsympathetic  nature.  First  of  all,  there  are  heavy 
forked  posts  driven  in  to  the  ground,  then  a  frame- 
work of  rough  poles  is  laid  on  these  and  firmly  tied 
with  dried  fibre  of  the  pandanus  tree.  It  is  on  this 
foundation  of  poles  that  the  reeds  or  bamboos  are 
fastened,  very  neatly  and  carefully  too ;  and  now  your 
bed  is  complete,  a  plaited  cocoanut  leaf  being  your  only 
mattress.  Sometimes  a  bed  such  as  this  will  be  very 
comfortable ;  at  other  times  it  seems  disposed  to  kick. 
Your  pillow — a  bundle  of  clothes,  a  basket  or  two,  and 
your  hat — is  not  as  soft  as  feathers,  and  whichever  way 
you  turn,  there  seems  to  be  trouble.  The  bed  itself  has 
good  points,  almost  too  many  of  them,  and  the  bamboo 
has  an  uncomfortable  way  of  creaking  at  every  move. 
If  there  was  only  some  way  of  sinking  into  it,  but  there 
is  not;  it  is  hard  and  unyielding,  and  the  only  remedy 
seems  to  be  in  lying  still  and  then  dropping  off  to  sleep 
in  sheer  exhaustion.  I  put  Mr.  Annand  on  the  inner 
side  of  the  bed,  right  against  the  wall,  and  took  the 
outer  side  myself.  We  were  not  too  comfortable,  and 
in  the  early  morning  it  became  bitterly  cold.  We  had 
very  little  covering,  and  as  the  wind  was  whistling 
through  the  walls  we  lay  awake,  shivering,  until  day- 
light. Annand  declared  that  I  put  him  against  the  wall 
in  order  to  break  the  wind  off  myself,  and  to  escape  the 
showers  of  black  sand  that  came  driving  in  all  night 
over  his  body.  Towards  morning,  Mrs.  Robertson 
missed  our  little  "  Tissie,"  as  we  used  to  call  her,  but 
after  an  anxious  minute  or  two  I  found  her  sound  asleep 
under  our  bed.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Annand  left  us  again 


1875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS         ,   253 

that  morning,  and  soon  the  Dayspring  set  sail  for  the 
south. 

As  soon  as  possible  we  got  our  groceries,  bedding,  and 
other  gear  unpacked,  and  we  began  at  once  to  make 
our  small  dwelling  more  comfortable.  The  room  was 
nine  feet  by  eleven  feet,  and  I  now  proceeded  to  lay  a 
rough  floor  in  it.  Even  that  improvement  made  a 
difference.  We  got  a  big  field-bed  put  up,  which  took 
up  quite  half  the  room,  and  in  the  clear  space  at  the 
other  end  Mrs.  Robertson  placed  a  small  table,  a  sofa, 
and  a  rocking-chair.  This  was  all  the  furniture  in  it. 
Whenever  our  breakfast  was  over,  a  small  sewing- 
machine,  with  books  and  writing  material,  used  to  occupy 
the  table,  and  the  children  had  the  remaining  space 
in  the  room  and  the  big  schoolhouse  for  a  play-room. 
It  was  anything  but  pleasant  for  us  in  the  early  morning, 
when  crowds  of  dirty  men,  women  and  children  were 
in  the  church  or  school.  The  smell  from  their  unwashed 
bodies  and  the  swarms  of  blow-flies  made  it  something 
hard  to  bear  from  dawn  until  about  eight  o'clock,  when 
most  of  the  people  were  gone  away  from  the  school 
premises.  And  it  was  always  while  most  of  them 
were  near  by  that  our  breakfast  had  to  be  prepared 
and  eaten.  As  soon  as  Mrs.  Robertson  and  Sampat, 
a  young  girl  who  was  helping  us,  got  it  ready,  it  was 
quickly  taken  from  the  cook-house  and  pushed  in  to 
our  room  through  a  small  window,  and  the  window 
as  quickly  closed  again  to  keep  away  the  swarming 
blow-flies.  I  used  to  dismiss  the  school  and  slip  through 
to  the  "  dining-room,"  and  our  meal  had  to  be  eaten 
with  almost  as  much  haste  as  it  was  brought  in.  The 
people  knew  that  I  intended  building  a  small  house  for 
ourselves,  and  I  had  plenty  of  willing  helpers  for  this. 
The  lime  had  already  been  burnt,  the  rough  wood  was 
taken  from  the  bush,  and  the  wall-plates  and  sills  were  of 


254 


ERROMANGA 


the  framework  of  poor  James  Gordon's  house  at  Pot- 
numa,  which  the  heathen  had  pulled  down  and  had 
built  into  a  stockade  after  the  murder.  These  heavy 
pieces  of  timber  were  carried  by  my  young  men  on 
their  shoulders  to  Cook's  Bay,  a  distance  of  at  least 
seven  miles.  I  intended  to  build  a  cottage,  twenty-eight 
feet  by  fourteen  feet,  of  two  rooms,  and  knowing  how 
exposed  we  should  be  to  the  strong  east  wind  from 
the  ocean,  I  built  everything  specially  strong,  though, 
as  it  turned  out  later  on,  not  strong  enough  to  withstand 
a  hurricane.  The  women  were  busily  employed  every 
day  in  plaiting  sugar-cane  leaf  for  thatching,  while 
numbers  of  the  men  carried  great  poles  from  the  bush, 
of  course  shouting  ^  as  they  brought  them.  They 
seemed  to  have  plenty  of  food,  and  always  provided 
for  themselves.  They  were  very  generous  to  us,  too, 
in  the  matter  of  food.  Our  midday  and  evening  meals 
were  always  taken  in  the  big  schoolhouse  close  by ; 
our  table  was  an  old  tool-chest ;  but  with  a  spotless 
table-cloth  what  did  that  matter.?  A  big  saucepan  full 
of  rich,  red  taro,  real  Cook's  Bay  tarof  stood  on  the 
ground  beside  the  "  table,"  and  in  the  evening  there 
was  nearly  always  a  fine  native  pudding,^  sent  in  as  a 
present  from  some  one  of  our  people.  About  those 
puddings  we  asked  no  questions^  for  the  stomach's 
sake,  and  enjoyed  them  heartily.  "  Where  ignorance 
is  bliss,  'tis  folly  to  be  wise,"  and  we  never  troubled  our- 
selves to  find  out  who  made  them.  Since  then  we  have 
been  more  particular.  , 

On  Sundays  we  were  fed  from  the  "  king's  table ". 
Netai,  our  chief,  the  great  Netai,  as  he  was  often  called, 
was  one  of  seven  brothers — Lifu,  Netai  Nakam  (the 
"  great  Netai "),  Nari,  Netai  Nesebo,  Uluhoi,  Nerimpau 
and  Novolu  Teruvat.  All  were  good  friends  to  the 
Mission,    and   attended    school    regularly,    but   perhaps 


1875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  255 

Netai  and  Novolu  Teruvat  were  our  staunchest  helpers. 
Novolu  was  our  teacher  at  Cook's  Bay.  He  used  to 
tell  me  that  when  he  was  at  Potnuma  and  was  still  a 
heathen,  Mr.  Gordon  was  friendly  to  him,,  and  tried  to 
encourage  him  to  give  up  heathenism  and  to  take  the 
nam,  '  the  word  '.  He  would  say  to  him,  "  Novolu,  atc- 
kisak,"  that  is,  '  strive  on ;  try  for  the  good '.  It  has 
always  been  so  pleasing  to  us  to  notice  the  warm  love 
and  admiration  that  his  teachers  and  Christian  people, 
and  even  his  heathen  friends,  bore  to  Mr.  Gordon. 
Novolu  was  a  good  man,  a  great  help  to  us  in  the  work, 
and  we  missed  him  sorely  when  he  was  taken  away. 
For  many  years,  Lifu,  the  eldest,  has  been  the  only 
one  of  the  seven  brothers  who  survived ;  he  died  very 
lately,  and  could  not  have  been  less  than  ninety  years 
old  at  the  time. 

On  Sundays,  as  I  have  said,  the  "great  Netai"  him- 
self provided  our  food.  The  Cook's  Bay  River  ran  just 
beside  the  spot  where  we  were  living,  and  the  chief's 
abode  was  on  the  opposite  side.  He  used  to  swim  the 
river,  striking  out  with  one  hand  and  holding  the  food 
well  above  his  head  with  the  other.  As  we  were  sitting 
in  our  room,  Netai  would  bounce  in  (he  never  knocked), 
and  plump  the  great  pudding  down  in  front  of  us.  And 
it  would  be  a  fan  ^  pudding,  rich  and  well  made.  He 
used  to  dress  himself  up  in  rare  style,  his  body  oiled 
elaborately,  and  his  hair  on  one  side  of  his  head  closely 
shaved  and  on  the  other  a  luxuriant  crop.  He  was  a 
fine  fellow,  but  of  course  most  ignorant ;  a  real  heathen, 
but  our  staunch  friend.  He  had  unbounded  influence 
over  all  the  surrounding  districts,  and,  as  the  Gordons 
always  regarded  Cook's  Bay  as  the  "  key  of  the  island" 
we  had,  at  the  first,  intended  to  settle  there.  The  missiori- 
aries  rather  opposed  this  then,  as  they  said  it  would 
be  almost  impossible  for  the  Dayspring  to  call  there. 


256  ERROMANGA 

But  I  said  that  that  could  not  be  helped ;  we  had  to 
go  to  the  place  where  there  was  the  best  opening  for 
the  Gospel,,  and  Cook's  Bay  was  thai  place  ;  that  Netai 
wanted  us  there,  and  would  do  much  to  help  us,  and 
his  influence  was  too  strong  to  contend  against ;  that 
it  was  better  to  have  that  influence  on  our  side.  At  that 
time  he  had  three  wives — one  quite  young,  the  other 
two  older.  A  young  man  named  Potnilo,  a  Christian, 
who  was  attending  my  classes,  and  who  was  already 
married,  had  another  wife  sent  ^  to  him.  I  told  him 
that  this  would  never  do ;  that  he  must  give  her  up ; 
and  I  spoke  to  Netai  about  it.  The  chief  agreed  with 
me  (as  Potnilo  had  taken  the  nani) ;  but,  he  said,  if  he 
puts  her  away  she  should  "  remain  only "  ^ — an  ex- 
pression that  our  people  use,  meaning  that  a  woman 
should  never  marry.  "  If  I  become  a  Christian,"  Netai 
added,  "  I  will  send  away  two  of  my  wives,  but  I  would 
like  to  see  the  man  that  would  dare  to  marry  one  of 
them."  When  Netai  did  become  a  Christian  and  was 
baptised,  he  kept  his  word ;  he  sent  away  two  of  his 
wives — the  two  old  ones — and  I  don't  think  we  ever 
heard  of  any  one  that  wanted  to  marry  them.  It  was 
quite  usual  for  a  man  to  have  several  wives  ;  three  was 
regarded  as  a  very  moderate  number.  A  young  man, 
Nerimpau,  a  bright,  energetic  fellow,  who  was  always  a 
willing  helper,  lived  near  us,  and  he,  though  little  more 
than  a  boy,  owned  two  wives,  one  fairly  old,,  or  at  least 
middle-aged,  the  other  a  mere  girl.  The  older  one, 
we  noticed,  used  to  do  all  the  hard  work  in  the  planta- 
tion and  anything  else  that  her  young  lord  wanted, 
while  the  young  wife,  Nial,  was  evidently  just  a  doll. 
She  always  did  very  much  as  she  pleased,  and  had 
decidedly  an  easy  time  of  it. 

Cook's  Bay  is  right  in  the  teeth  of  the  trade  wind, 


i875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  257 

and,  of  course,  it  was  always  blowing  there,  and  the  sea 
rolling  in  day  and  night.  But  there  was  a  great  deal 
of  fine  weather,  and  when  the  tide  was  out  we  could 
have  a  delightful  walk  along  the  hard,  springy  shore. 
School  was  kept  up  regularly  every  morning,  and  in  this 
I  had  Novolu's  good  assistance.  Then,  when  we  were 
busy  with  the  house-building,  Mrs.  Robertson  taught  a 
class  of  young  people  ;  she  began  this  as  soon  as  we  were 
settled  there,  and  had  a  number  of  bright  young  girls 
and  boys  in  the  class.  The  attendance  at  all  of  these 
classes  and  at  the  church  services  was  exceptionally 
good.  On  Sundays  the  great  grass  church,  one  hundred 
feet  long,  was  literally  crammed  with  people,  some 
being  out  of  heathenism,  others  still  in  it,  but  friendly. 
Of  course,  the  old  people  did  not  know  one  letter  from 
another,  but  they  religiously  opened  their  books  and 
held  them,  often  upside  down,  during  the  entire  service. 
With  all  their  difficulties  and  discomforts  we  have  often 
said  that  we  never  had  happier  months  than  those  four 
that  we  spent  at  Cook's  Bay.  We  were  both  young 
and  strong,  and  rather  enjoyed  roughing  it.  We  still 
have  a  little  old  wooden  table  that  nothing  would  induce 
Mrs.  Robertson  to  part  with,  for  it  is  a  memento  of  the 
old  days  there.  It  was  made  out  of  old  boxes,  the  feet 
out  of  an  old  oar,  and,  when  finished,  was  painted  with 
a  mixture  made  of  red  clay  and  oil.  We  took  it  round 
with  us  to  Cook's  Bay,  where  it  had  to  be  mended, 
having  almost  come  to  pieces  during  the  passage. 

The  people  were  hearty  and  lovable,  and  all  that 
district  seemed  such  a  splendid  field  for  work.  It  was 
the  people  on  the  east  side  of  Erromanga,  not  the  west, 
and  chiefly  the  people  of  Cook's  Bay,  who  were  our 
earliest  and  firmest  friends,  and  we  could  never  forget 
them.  On  most  Sunday  afternoons,  the  teacher  Novolu 
Teruvat  and  I,  with  our  Christian  young  men  and  some- 


258  ERROMANGA 

times  friendly  half-heathen  helpers  (I  often  had  our 
"  great  Netai  "  with  me),  used  to  go  in  opposite  directions 
to  the  surrounding  villages,  here  and  there  speaking 
to  the  people  and  having  hymns  and  prayers  with  them. 
Almost  every  day  there  came  great  crowds  of  visitors 
from  both  sides  of  the  bay,  from  Norowo's  land  and  from 
Portinia  Bay.  We  used  to  see  them  in  the  distance, 
and  Netai  would  point  to  them  coming,  and  say,  "  Misi, 
ovun  nevias,  'the  clothed  are  coming'."  Being  friendly 
natives,  and  some  of  them  Christian,  they  were  nearly 
always  clothed.  Those  from  the  districts  south  of 
Cook's  Bay  were  a  fine-looking  people,  big  men  and 
tall,  strapping  women.  Netai  would  introduce  each 
newcomer,  and,  with  a  thump  on  their  shoulders  for 
encouragement,  say,  "  Misi,  si  moniu  natemenok,  '  here 
is  another  chief."     Of  course,  they  were  a//  chiefs. 

After  we  had  been  about  two  months  there  the  Day- 
spring  returned,  anchoring  near  Potnariven,  in  Portinia 
Bay.  I  heard  of  it,  and  at  once  started  for  that  village. 
When  I  reached  it,  I  found  that  the  chief  officer,  Mr. 
Macintosh,  had  been  ashore,  had  landed  the  mails  and 
returned  to  the  ship,  leaving  word  that  he  would  come 
in  again  at  daylight  for  our  letters.  I  wrote  to  the 
captain  for  spun  yarn,  which  I  needed  badly  for  the 
house,  and  then  returned  to  Cook's  Bay,  a  distance  of 
four  miles,  by  torchlight,  getting  there  about  ten  o'clock. 
Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  wrote  till  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing; then,  after  a  cup  of  tea,  I  set  out  again  for 
Potnariven.  Just  as  I  reached  the  crest  of  the  hill 
overlooking  the  bay,  I  met  Mr.  Macintosh,  looking  very 
tired  and  carrying  a  box.  I  asked  him  why  he  had  not 
opened  it,  for  it  must  have  been  very  heavy.  It  turned 
out  to  be  a  lamp,  which  we  were  needing,  and  were 
glad  to  have.     I  got  the  spun  yarn  from  him,  gave  our 


i875— A  YEAR  OF  SUCCESS  259 

letters,   and  we   said  good-bye.     The   Daysfring  then 
left  for  Sydney,  and  I  returned  to  Cook's  Bay. 

We  pushed  on  with  the  building  now,  and  after  being 
three  months  in  the  grass  hut  we  moved  into  our  new 
two-roomed  cottage,  which  seemed  very  sweet  and  com- 
modious after  the  long  weeks  of  camp-life.  The  people 
around  us  were  eager  to  learn,  and  many  of  them  were 
true  followers  of  Christ.  Everything  seemed  hopeful, 
and  we  were  now  comfortably  settled  in  our  new  house, 
but  unfortunately  our  little  boy  took  very  ill,  suffering 
severely  from  fever  and  ague.  He  became  so  weak  that 
at  one  time  we  feared  he  could  not  live,  and  we  felt  that 
it  would  be  wrong  to  stay  there  longer  than  until  the 
return  of  the  vessel.  It  would  have  been  wiser  even  to 
have  returned  overland  to  Dillon's  Bay,  but  we  wanted 
to  hold  on  as  long  as  we  could,  and  so  awaited  the  arrival 
of  the  Dayspring.  We  were  exactly  four  months  at  the 
east  station,  and  have  always  felt  that  our  visit  to  Cook's 
Bay  was  the  means  of  doing  a  great  deal  of  good  among 
our  people  on  that  side  of  the  island. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

AMID  DIFFICULTIES,  OUR  WORK  ADVANCES. 

During  our  stay  at  Cook's  Bay,  I  managed  to  visit  a 
number  of  the  districts  round  us,  being  accompanied  by 
Novolu  and  Sempent,  our  teacher  at  Potnariven,  and 
others  of  our  fine  young  men.  One  of  these  journeys 
was  to  Imbongkor,  about  fifteen  miles  to  the  south,  in 
order  to  visit  Nokilian  and  his  brother  N5vwal,  the 
high  chiefs  of  that  particular  district.  Niyau  was  teacher 
there  at  the  time.  Netai  and  Nokesam  were  with  me 
on  this  occasion.  We  spent  a  night  with  these  two 
brother-chiefs.  How  lavishly  they  provided  for  us  all — 
pigs,  fowls,  fish,  taro  and  yams  ^  were  cooked  in  abund- 
ance ;  my  share  was  a  very  nice  fowl,  yams,  and  a  rich 
pudding.  After  this  meal  we  had  a  supper  of  tea,  bread 
and  fruit  of  all  kinds.  Then  Netai  and  Nokesam 
"  talked  "  the  Gospel  into  the  chiefs  and  their  people, 
and  tried  to  frighten  heathenism  out  of  them!  I  was 
lying  down  in  the  little  hut  that  my  teacher  had 
specially  built  for  me.  I  was  too  weary  to  sleep,  even 
if  my  bed  had  had  fewer  sharp  sticks  and  reeds  like 
saw-files  in  it,  and  I  was  so  interested  and  amused  by 
the  flashes  of  wit  on  both  sides  (for  I  could  hear  every 
word  that  was  said),  the  many  good  points  as  well  as 
absurd  statements  made  by  Netai  and  Nokesam,  that, 
had  I  been  on  a  bed  of  down,  I  would  have  tried  to  keep 
awake.  The  two  evangelists  talked  on  till  midnight, 
then  sang  a  hymn,  followed  by  a  short  prayer  by  one 

.  (260; 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  261 

of  them ;  something  Uke  a  wild  snort  for  "  Amen  "  was 
the  last  sound  I  heard ;  and  then  they  were  all  fast 
asleep. 

The  next  morning  we  had  a  big  meeting  of  the  chiefs 
and  people  in  the  church.  After  I  had  addressed  them 
all,  I  called  upon  Netai  and  Nokesam,  as  my  "  friends  " 
in  this  work,  to  speak.  They  both  spoke — Nokesam 
first,  and  then  Netai ;  fortunately  their  words  were  brief. 
From  that  day  to  the  day  of  their  death  I  never  asked 
those  two  good  but  wofully  ignorant  men  to  address  a 
gathering  in  a  church.  If  Nokesam  spoke  folly  and 
madness,  poor  Netai's  words  were  far  more  than  that. 
It  hurt  me  so  that  I  went  over  to  him  and  suggested 
that  we  should  have  a  hymn  or  two,  after  which  he  would 
pray.  I  knew  I  was  quite  safe  in  asking  that ;  he  was 
reverent  and  correct  in  prayer.  I  suppose  the  words  of 
prayer  were  memorised  by  hearing  the  teacher  so  often. 
Though,  for  the  matter  of  that,  there  is  scarcely  a  native 
on  the  island  who  cannot  engage  in  prayer  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice,  and  with  remarkable  fluency.  After 
Netai's  prayer,  I  closed  the  meeting  with  a  few  words 
of  encouragement  to  those  who  were  striving  to  lead  a 
new  life,  and  exhorted  the  chiefs  to  show  their  people 
an  example  of  Christian  chieftainship.  That  same 
evening  we  returned  as  far  as  Nokesam's  land,  and  the 
following  day  Netai  and  I  arrived  at  home,  the  men  with 
us  carrying  loads  of  fowls,  taro  and  yams,  all  of  which 
were  presents  from  the  chiefs  to  the  mission  family. 

I  had  purposed  that,  as  I  was  fairly  near  it,  I  would  try 
and  have  Mr.  Gordon's  grave  properly  attended  to  and 
a  strong  stone  wall  built  round  it  for  protection.  So  I 
sent  word  to  Nahng  Puruput,  the  teacher  at  Potnuma, 
to  get  his  people  to  burn  a  kiln  of  lime,  and  I  would 
pay  them  for  it ;    this  he  promptly  attended  to.       One 


262  ERROMANGA 

morning  we  started  on  our  errand,  a  number  of  young 
men,  as  well  as  several  chiefs  and  old  men,  being  of  the 
party.  These  latter  were  Nokesam,  Netai,  Uluhoi  and 
Woris.  The  walk  from  Cook's  Bay  to  Potnuma  was 
seven  miles,  and  as  soon  as  we  arrived  there  we  set  some 
of  our  party  to  work  to  cut  down  trees  and  the  scrub, 
clearing  the  ground  a  space  of  about  fifty  square  feet 
around  the  grave.  While  the  younger  men  were  doing 
this,  the  older  ones  were  carrying  up  to  me  the  lime 
and  sand  that  I  might  mix  the  mortar.  Naling  and  his 
people  were  busy  preparing  food  for  us  all.  By  working 
hard  from  about  ten  in  the  morning  till  sundown,  we  had 
the  ground  well  cleared  and  a  substantial  concrete  wall, 
about  two  feet  thick,  built  right  round  the  grave  in  the 
form  of  the  letter  "  G ".  We  also  cut  a  rough  road 
from  the  grave  to  the  shore.  Our  work  over,  we  went 
to  the  sea-shore,  and  camped  just  beside  the  stream, 
where  Naling  had  the  piping-hot  food  all  spread  out  on 
green  cocoanut  leaves.  I  asked  a  blessing  on  the  food, 
and  then  told  my  party  that  they  had  better  tie  it  all 
up  and  eat  it  as  we  walked  home,  for  darkness  was 
coming  on  and  we  had  a  weary  tramp  before  us.  I 
thanked  Naling  and  his  people,  and  gave  him  the  charge 
of  keeping  the  grave  well  tended.  This  he  did  faith- 
fully as  long  as  he  was  teacher  at  Potnuma.  We  had 
not  gone  a  mile  along  the  shore  when  I  felt  so  tired 
that  I  could  not  keep  up  any  longer,  but  threw  myself 
down  on  the  black  sand  and  went  fast  asleep.  They 
soon  roused  me,  fearing  that  I  might  catch  cold,  as  my 
clothes  were  soaked  with  wet.  Seldom  have  I  been 
more  fatigued.  Some  one  may  ask,  "  What  about  the 
men,  then  ?  were  they  not  also  tired  as  you  ?  "  Yes,  the 
yoiing  men  lucve  tired  ;  they  had  worked  well ;  but  like 
all  natives,  took  good  care  to  sit  down  frequently  and 
rest  and  eat  food.     As  for  the  old  men,  a  spurt  of  an 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  263 

hour  or  so  satisfied  them,  and  the  rest  of  the  time  they 
were  busy  sleeping  and  drinking  cocoanuts.  As  we 
walked  along  the  road,  the  young  men  gathered  old,  dry 
cocoanut  leaves,  and  quickly  twisted  and  tied  them  in 
long  rolls  for  torches,  which  were  soon  needed.  These 
dry  leaves  make  excellent  torches.  No  white  man  can 
carry  and  trim  them  as  a  native  can,  and  when  a  crowd 
of  two  or  three  hundred  people  are  passing,  as  I  have 
often  seen  them,  in  single  file  along  a  winding  moun- 
tain path,  every  tenth  man,  perhaps,  brandishing  one 
of  these  blazing  faggots,  the  effect  is  most  picturesque. 
By  ten  o'clock  that  night  we  arrived  at  Cook's  Bay, 
all  as  wearied  as  we  cared  to  be,  and  I,  myself,  too 
tired  to  eat.  But,  after  a  wash  and  a  good  long  rest,  I 
felt  quite  ready  for  the  cosy  supper  that  Mrs.  Robertson 
had  made  ready;  it  was  the  first  food  I  had  eaten  for 
about  eighteen  hours. 

Before  our  house  was  quite  finished,  I  met  with  a 
painful  accident.  I  was  cutting  rafters  one  morning ; 
Nofon  was  holding  the  wood,  and  managed  somehow 
to  let  it  slip.  I  brought  the  adze  down  with  a  slashing 
blow  on  my  leg,  and  the  blood  literally  spouted  out. 
Poor  Nofon  was  miserable  and  full  of  remorse  over  his 
share  in  the  accident.  Besides  the  great  pain,  it  kept 
me  back  from  my  work  and  I  was  able  to  do  almost 
nothing  for  a  long  time. 

That  same  afternoon  word  came  from  Potnuma  that 
the  heathen  had  killed  Naling  Puruput,  our  teacher. 
The  poor  fellow  used  to  take  fits  of  insanity,  but  when 
these  were  over  he  was  as  right  as  any  man.  From  what 
we  heard,  his  mind  seemed  quite  to  have  given  way 
now.  Fortunately,  it  turned  out  that  the  report  was 
exaggerated.  Naling  was  not  killed,  though  he  had 
been  severely  wounded.     His  friends  had  sent  tor  me, 


264  ERROMANGA 

but  of  course  I  was  helpless  and  could  scarcely  move ; 
so  I  could  only  do  my  best  by  sending  healing  appliances 
and  plenty  of  nourishing  food.  We  afterwards  learned 
that,  when  his  mind  became  affected,  he  believed  that 
he  had  been  commanded  to  stop  heathenism  everywhere. 
He  took  with  him  Bonkora,  a  poor-looking,  gawkish 
fellow,  and  some  other  companions,  and  went  first  to 
interview  some  old  men  at  a  village  near  by.  He  told 
them  that  if  they  did  not  give  up  heathenism  he  would 
shoot  them !  They  were  so  frightened  that  they  pro- 
mised anything,  and  made  him  a  present  of  two  pigs. 
He  next  reached  a  feasting-ground  where  yams  had  been 
tied  up  to  poles  in  preparation  for  a  feast.  Naling  cut 
everything  away,  and  passed  on  to  the  next  village, 
Sumprim,  his  followers  increasing  all  the  time.  I  sup- 
pose a  number  of  them  went  out  of  sheer  curiosity  to 
see  what  he  would  do  next.  At  Sumprim  he  cut  down 
all  the  yams  belonging  to  the  young  chief,  who  was 
roused  at  once  into  anger.  By  this  time  Naling  was 
exhausted ;  he  had  walked  a  long  distance,  and  had 
been  busy  all  the  time,  but  when  the  young  chief  came 
in  a  rage  to  the  sinimi-Io^  in  the  public  square,  where 
he  was  resting,  Naling  sprang  to  his  feet,  saying :  "  I 
am  glad  to  see  some  one  who  is  worthy  of  me ;  the  rest 
are  cowards  ;  come  here,  my  friend,  and  we  will  set-to  ". 
The  young  man  had  both  an  axe  and  a  spear ;  Naling's 
only  weapon  was  a  rough  stick,  but  he  had  been  a 
splendid  fighter  in  his  young  days,  and  had  no  fear  now. 
He  parried  all  the  blows  of  his  assailant,  and  at  last, 
with  a  dexterous  grip,  broke  his  axe-handle.  Then  he 
gave  the  man  a  good  hiding  with  his  switch.  Suddenly 
he  turned  his  back  on  him,  and  covered  his  face.  The 
poor  fellow  was  quite  confused  and  scarcely  knew  what 
he  was  doing,  but  his  cowardly  foe,  who  had  been 
thoroughly  beaten,  flew  for  another  axe,  and  in  another 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  265 

second  had  given  Naling  a  deep  blow,  cutting  right  into 
the  muscles  of  his  back.  Naling  said :  "  Go  on  ;  I  am 
not  afraid  ".  The  man  then,  fearing  that  he  had  mor- 
tally wounded  him,  made  off  for  his  life,  but  one  of 
Naling's  friends,  Nokilian,  ran  after  him,  caught  him, 
and  would  have  killed  him,  but  Naling  forbade  it. 
Nokilian  tied  Hrnves  leaves  on  the  wound,  and  the  in- 
jured man,  leaning  on  his  friend's  arm,  managed  to  walk 
home.  He  had  the  pluck  of  a  dozen  men.  He  got 
well  again,  but,  of  course,  I  had  to  take  him  away  from 
that  place. 

It  was  this  same  man,  Naling,  who,  a  long  time  after 
this,  was  our  goat-herd  at  Dillon's  Bay.  When  well,  he 
was  most  painstaking,  and  gave  every  satisfaction.  He 
was  full  of  fun — a  ready  wit.  On  one  occasion  we  had 
gone  to  spend  some  months  at  Potnariven  (Portinia  Bay), 
and  were  still  away  when  poor  Naling,  it  seems,  became 
queer  again.  He  turned  the  goats  out  at  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  and  then  walked  across  and  rang  the 
church  bell.  When  at  last  he  managed  to  wake  the 
people  that  morning,  he  told  them  that  it  was  high  time 
they  were  all  up,  and  insisted  on  their  going  to  church. 
He  himself  went  up  into  the  pulpit  to  address  them. 
However,  Atnelo,  the  teacher,  persuaded  him  to  come 
down  from  that,  and  told  him  that,  if  he  chose,  he  might 
stand  on  the  floor  and  speak  to  them.  Atnelo  said  to 
us  that  the  poor  man  talked  utter  foolishness,  and  yet 
seemed  highly  pleased  with  himself. 

Later  in  the  day,  seeing  that  the  natives  were  closely 
watching  him,  he  was  clever  enough  to  know  that  they 
suspected  him  of  trying  to  set  fire  to  the  Mission 
premises,  and,  highly  insulted,  he  took  up  his  battle-axe 
and  went  straight  to  Unova,  his  own  land  (on  the  east 
side  of  the  island),  and  made  things  generally  lively 
there.     I  felt  sure  that  I  could  manage    him,  and  was 


266  ERROMANGA 

glad  when  one  day  later  on  he  showed  face,  having  come 
specially  to  see  us.  Poor  fellow!  though  quite  out  of 
his  mind  at  the  time,  he  seemed  to  realise  that  he  had 
been  behaving  badly,  and  had  evidently  come  to  explain 
matters.  When  he  appeared  at  the  door  of  the  room 
where  we  were  sitting,  Mrs.  Robertson,  who  was  nearest, 
rose  to  shake  hands  with  him.  Scarcely  looking  at  her, 
Naling  pompously  waved  her  aside,  then  walked  along 
and  knelt  down  in  front  of  me,  his  head  touching  the 
ground,  all  the  time  shaking  one  foot  at  Mrs.  Robertson 
to  make  her  keep  at  a  respectful  distance. 

His  position  was  too  ludicrous,  yet  we  fortunately  man- 
aged to  keep  our  countenances.  But  it  was  too  much 
for  some  of  the  young  people  who  saw  it,  and  they 
foolishly  teased  the  poor  man.  Nauvi,  however,  had  the 
good  sense  to  insist  on  their  leaving  him  alone. 

On  a  later  day,  when  I  was  preparing  to  go  to  Unova, 
our  people  begged  me  to  take  Naling  with  me.  "  You 
can  manage  him,  Misi,"  they  said ;  "  we  can't."  He 
seemed  quite  right  again  for  a  little,  until  one  time  he 
slipped  away  from  the  men  with  whom  he  had  been 
walking,  and  put  his  arm  round  a  young  girl's  neck. 
Of  course,  this  would  never  do ;  the  girl  screamed,  and 
her  friends  were  angry,  but  we  managed  to  get  him 
back  with  us,  and  all  was  right  until  we  entered  the 
bush  at  Potnuma.  Here  Naling  suggested  a  diversion. 
"  Look  here !  Mr.  Robertson,"  he  said ;  "  suppose  you 
and  I  give  these  people  an  English  song."  And  he 
began  roaring  a  wild  thing  that  was  neither  English 
nor  Erromangan,  and  even  though  I  might  have  wanted 
to  help,  I  had  to  confess  my  inability  to  do  so.  Both 
music  and  words  were  far  beyond  me.  He  was  swing- 
ing in  his  hand  a  very  pretty  little  club,  and  presently, 
catching  sight  of  a  snake,  killed  it  with  a  single  blow. 
He  took  it  up  by  the  tail,  whirled  it  round  his  head. 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  267 

and  threw  it  into  the  bush,  then  broke  his  club  in  two 
and  sent  the  pieces  after  the  snake.  Then,  with  a 
merry  twinkle  in  his  eye,  he  turned  to  me :  "  Now,  Misi, 
I  have  killed  the  Devil;  you  will  have  no  more  trouble 
from  him  ". 

By  the  time  we  reached  Un5va,  Naling  was  pretty 
much  exhausted,  but  seemed  quite  sane,  and  that  night 
he  slept  well.  The  next  morning  he  took  another  fit. 
I  was  returning  to  Potnariven,  and  Bonkor  and  the 
other  people  at  Un5va  hoped  that  Naling  would  go  too. 
They  were  afraid  of  having  him  there  lest  the  heathen 
might  revenge  themselves  on  him.  When  I  spoke  to 
Naling  about  it,  he  said :  "  If  they  kill  me,  they  kill 
me  on  my  own  land.  I  have  no  fear.  They  will  shed 
my  blood  on  my  own  soil  and  my  father's  soil.  You 
go  home,  Misi ;  I  will  stay  here ;  I  dare  them  to  touch 
me."  Then  Bonkor,  looking  as  stupid  and  ungainly 
as  he  could,  walked  up  to  Naling,  and  used  all  his 
persuasive  eloquence  to  get  him  to  return  with  me.  In 
the  middle  of  his  speech  a  great  lout  of  a  dog  appeared 
on  the  scene.  Naling  gave  one  look  at  Bonkor,  his  eyes 
flashing,  then  clenched  his  fist,  and  with  one  blow  sent 
the  dog  howling  into  the  bush.  I  burst  into  roars  of 
laughter.  And  that  stupid  Bonkor,  whom  one  would 
expect  to  take  this  as  a  warning,  actually  went  up  to 
speak  again.  He  was  wearing  an  enormous  Queensland 
hat,  which  did  not  improve  his  appearance,  for  he  was 
one  of  the  most  gawkish-looking  fellows  I  have  ever 
seen.  Naling  gave  him  a  contemptuous  look,  then 
suddenly  rose,  snatched  the  hat  from  the  side  of  his 
head,  gave  him  a  smart  clout  on  the  ear,  and  sent  the 
hat  where  he  had  sent  the  dog  a  minute  before. 

I  said :  "  Come  now,  Naling,  the  man  that  could  give 
a  blow  like  that  and  send  a  dog  flying  over  everybody's 
heads  into  the  bush  is  the  man  for  me.     1  have  a  bao- 


268  ERROMANGA 

here  that  I  would  not  trust  any  one  with  but  you;    I 
want  it  carried  safely  to  Potnariven." 

"  All  right,  Misi,"  he  said,  and  without  a  moment's 
delay  snatched  up  the  bag  and  was  off.  He  took  the 
lead,  shouting  and  singing  as  he  walked.  Then  all  of 
a  sudden  he  stopped,  and  twisting  the  bag  into  the 
air  he  threw  it  from  him,  and  then  sat  down  on  the  sand. 
"  You  go  on,"  he  said ;  "  I  am  going  to  stop  here." 
"  Very  well,"  I  replied  ;  "  just  as  you  please  ;  but  be  sure 
you  don't  forget  that  bag  when  you  come.  I  don't 
want  any  one  but  you  to  carry  it."  Without  a  word  he 
rushed  into  the  scrub,  picked  up  the  bag,  and  clutching 
it  tightly  in  his  arms,  set  off  again,  never  stopping  to 
look  round  once.  By  the  time  we  reached  Potnariven 
he  was  as  fresh  as  a  trout,  and  his  mind  quite  clear  again. 

On  the  very  morning  that  the  Dayspring  hove  in 
sight  on  her  return  from  Sydney,  just  as  we  were  having 
family  worship,  we  heard  a  great  noise  of  angry  voices 
outside  our  house.  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  and  was  out  in 
a  moment.  I  found  old  Lifu  struggling  to  free  himself 
from  some  men  who  were  holding  him  and  calling  out, 
"  Nate.'  nate!  'father!'  don't."  He  was  swinging  his 
battle-axe  round  his  head  and  shouting,  "  Let  me  get  at 
him,  the  natenias''  while  his  worthy  son  was  pointing  his 
gun  anywhere  within  twenty  feet  of  his  father,  and  say- 
ing :  "  Come  on  here,  you  fellow ;  /  have  something 
ready  for  you  ".  Both  men  were  trembling  with  anger 
and  weakness,  and  the  bystanders,  who  could  have 
carried  both  away  easily,  were  making  matters  worse 
by  holding  them  and  calling  "  Don't,  don't !  "  I  shoved 
them  off,  and  led  poor  old  Lifu,  who  was  a  rank  heathen, 
into  the  house,  and  made  him  sit  down ;  then,  leaving 
him  in  Mrs.  Robertson's  care,  I  darted  out  to  his  son,  a 
professing  Christian,  and  ordered  him  to  give  up  the 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  269 

gun  instantly,  and  to  sit  down  and  stay  there  until  I 
inquired  into  the  cause  of  the  trouble.  Leaving  several 
men  with  young  Lifu  I  went  into  our  house  again.  Mrs. 
Robertson  had  made  some  tea  for  old  Lifu,  but  his 
hands  were  trembling  so  that  he  could  not  hold  the 
bowl.  So  I  took  it  from  him,  and,  while  I  fed  him 
with  bread  and  tea,  I  managed  to  learn  from  him  the 
cause  of  the  disturbance. 

It  was  this :  The  son  had  borrowed  his  father's  rifle, 
and  had  left  it  in  his  own  house  while  he  went  to  work 
in  his  plantation.  Some  little  children  had  carelessly 
kindled  a  fire  near  that  house,  and  were  roasting  yams 
and  bread-fruit.  Soon  the  grass  hut  caught  fire,  and 
before  anything  could  bedone  was  burned  to  the  ground. 
Of  course  the  gun  was  ruined,  and,  as  compensation, 
Lifu  determined  to  take  his  son's  life.  The  story  was 
confirmed  by  all  the  men  who  were  outside.  Lifu 
added:  "I  will  not  kill  my  son  now,  because  of  my  love 
for  you  two  (Mrs.  Robertson  and  myself);  I  do  not 
want  to  grieve  your  hearts".  (Then  aside,  as  if  speaking 
to  himself,  "Oh!  who  will  give  me  nice  food  and  hot 
tea  when  they  are  gone?  ")  "But  as  soon  as  you  leave 
and  reach  Umbongkora  (Dillon's  Bay),  I  will  kill  him." 
Our  time  was  precious,  a  human  life  more  so,  and  I 
promised  before  them  all  that  if  he,  Lifu,  the  old  chief, 
would  take  a  vow  (by  cutting  a  sapling,  etc.,  more  siio) 
not  to  harm  his  son  nor  any  other  person,  nor  destroy 
property,  I  would  get  Captain  Braithwaite  to  buy  him  a 
good,  new,  double-barrelled  gun.  He  kept  his  vow, 
and  I  kept  my  word,  and  on  the  Dayspring  s  return  from 
New  Zealand  the  following  trip,  Lifu  got  his  new  gun. 
When  I  gave  it  to  him,  all  his  anger  had  spent  itself, 
and,  being  amiably  disposed  to  the  Mission,  he,  by 
deed,  gifted  a  fine  bit  of  land  for  a  church  and  school- 


270  ERROMANGA 

house  in  a  better  and  less  exposed  position  than  where 
the  church  had  stood. 

The  Dayspring  s  boat,  with  the  second  officer  and  a 
crew  of  four  white  men,  had  come  in  for  us  ;  the  Day- 
spring  herself  was  miles  out  at  sea,  and  soon  it  was 
time  for  us  to  leave.  From  our  anxiety  over  the 
disturbance  between  Lifu  and  his  son,  neither  Mrs. 
Robertson  nor  I  had  been  able  to  eat  much ;  the 
children,  especially  Gordon,  were  suffering  with  fever, 
and  everything  seemed  against  us.  We  were  taking 
with  us  to  Dillon's  Bay  a  dear  old  man  named  Nerimpau, 
who  had  been  most  kind  to  us  during  our  stay,  had 
been  to  see  us  every  day,  and  had  never  come  empty, 
handed.  We  all  had  reason  to  remember  that  weary 
morning  in  the  boat.  If  the  mate  had  not  been  as 
stubborn  and  heartless  as  a  heathen  Erromangan,  he 
would  have  ordered  his  men  to  strike  sail  and  pull  us 
to  the  ship,  which  could  easily  have  been  done  in  two 
or  three  hours.  Instead  of  this,  with  a  big  cargo  boat, 
and  without  a  jib  or  any  head-sail,  he  tried  to  beat  out 
against  a  considerable  sea,  and  the  wind  dead  ahead. 
I  suggested  his  taking  down  the  sail  and  pulling,  offer- 
ing to  take  an  oar  myself,  as  my  wife  and  children 
were  suffering.  But  as  there  was  a  sail  there  it  must 
be  up,  not  because  it  was  of  any  use,  but  because  it 
was  a  boat-sail.  He  sat  there  abusing  the  captain,  say- 
ing he  should  have  brought  the  vessel  right  into  the 
bay  instead  of  fooling  about  half-way  to  Aniwa. 

I  said :  "  You  are  right,  every  other  vessel  comes 
right  in;  but  she  has  not  come  in,  and  what  we  have  to 
do  now  is  to  get  to  her.  You  will  never  get  there  as 
you  are  now  doing,  trying  to  beat  against  such  a  wind 
and  sea  as  this  and  with  only  a  standing  lug-sail."  I 
could  bear  it  no  longer;  our  poor  children's  little  arms 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  271 

were  covered  with  huge  blisters  from  the  scorching  sun, 
and  they  and  their  mother  were  worn-out  and  miser- 
able. Poor  old  Nerimpau  was  sea-sick,  I  said :  "I  ask 
you  once  more  to  take  down  that  sail  and  pull  us  to  the 
vessel,  or  my  child  will  die.  If  you  refuse,  I  demand 
to  be  put  ashore  again.  I  won't  stand  this  another 
minute."  There  was  no  response  to  that,  and  then  I 
turned  to  Chessell,  an  old  man-o*-war  sailor,  who  was 
twitching  about  in  pent-up  wrath  at  the  mate's  conduct, 
and  said :  "  Mr.  Chessell,  you  are  a  brave  man  and  a 
gentleman;  can  you  suffer  this  cruelty  to  my  wife  and 
children  to  continue  ?  "  Quick  as  lightning  old  Chessell 
sprang  to  his  feet.  "  Down  sail !  down  mast !  now 
out  with  your  oars  and  into  your  seats,"  dropping 
into  his  own  seat  as  he  spoke  ;  he  was  stroke.  "  Now, 
boys  1  give  way,  and  let  us  get  on  board  with  this  lady 
and  her  sick  children.  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  as, 
getting  firmly  seated  and  making  a  long  sweep  with  his 
oar,  he  kicked  the  mate  on  the  shin ;  "very  sorry,  sir !  " 
Soon  the  old  boat  began  to  go  ahead.  We  reached  the 
Dayspring  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  the 
only  way  we  could  get  there  in  that  boat — by  rowing, 
and  that  with  our  might. 

When  we  got  alongside,  I  was  nearly  as  annoyed  with 
the  captain  for  giving  us  such  a  long  pull  as  I  was  with 
the  mate  for  adding  to  the  time,  making  it  six  hours 
when  three  would  have  been  enough.  Captain  Braith- 
waite  took  in  the  whole  situation,  sprang  to  help  Mrs. 
Robertson  and  the  children  out  of  the  boat,  and  called 
to  the  steward  for  mattresses  and  pillows.  These  and 
a  basin  of  warm  water  and  towels  were  at  once  brought, 
and  the  captain  hurried  away  to  get  soothing  applica- 
tions for  the  poor  blistered  arms.  Soon  we  were  all 
comfortably  settled  on  deck,  and  Captain  Braithwaite, 
knowing  well  a  missionary's  longing  for  home  news. 


272  ERROMANGA 

smoothed  away  my  last  feelings  of  resentment  by  bring- 
ing forward  a  huge  mail  bag,  filled  with  letters  and 
papers,  which  he  poured  out  on  the  deck  beside  us. 
Who  could  help  being  fond  of  that  man?  At  times 
he  would  just  belch  out  at  some  of  us,  storming  away 
as  if  he  would  take  the  roof  off  our  heads,  or,  as  I 
suppose  it  would  be  more  in  keeping  to  say,  the  deck 
from  under  our  feet.  But  in  a  very  short  time,  his  an- 
noyance over,  he  could  not  do  enough  to  make  up  for 
the  outburst,  and  would  be  talking  away  cheerily  to  the 
very  ones  he  had  been  assailing  right  and  left  a  minute 
before.  With  Captain  Braithwaite  there  were  squalls — 
thundery  ones,  too,  now  and  again — but  they  were 
sharp  and  soon  over. 

Before  long  the  Daysprittg  was  lying  calmly  at  anchor 
in  Dillon's  Bay ;  we  were  home  again,  and  all  our 
troubles  forgotten — blotted  out  by  kindness.  How 
beautifully  neat  and  clean  our  house  here  looked!  Our 
faithful  old  Ohai  had  taken  such  care  of  everything. 
The  rooms  seemed  enormous,  and  the  house  a  palace 
after  our  tiny  cottage  at  Cook's  Bay.  We  were  grate- 
ful, indeed,  to  be  back  again. 

In  January  of  the  next  year,  1876,  a  month  after  our 
return  to  Dillon's  Bay,  Novolu  Teruvat  paid  a  long- 
promised  visit  to  the  fierce,  heathen  people  of  Unepang. 
He  could  safely  go  there  on  account  of  his  relationship 
to  some  of  them.  I  fancy  his  mother  was  an  Unepang 
woman,  and  I  know  that  two  of  Netai's  wives  were 
from  that  district.  He  saw  the  chiefs  and  people,  spcke 
to  them  of  the  nam,^  of  Christ  and  His  love  for  them 
and  tried  to  get  them  to  promise  to  take  a  teacher. 
Again  and  again  this  good  man  walked  over  those  rough 
hills  to  see  his  heathen  friends.  And  later,  several  of 
the  Christian  chiefs  from  the  west  side  of  the  island 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  273 

visited  Unepang,  among  them  Avoli,  the  chief  of  Ram- 
punumunehasau,  and  Uven,  the  chief  of  Rampunumo. 
These  friendly  visits  were  returned  by  Nahal,  one  of 
the  principal  chiefs  of  the  district  round  South  River, 
and  very  soon  the  way  seemed  to  open  up  for  the  placing 
of  a  teacher  at  Unarevin,  a  village  about  a  mile  north  of 
South  River.  Had  we  been  fortunate  in  obtaining  a 
good  man  for  that  village,  the  results  of  his  settlement 
would  have  been  apparent  to  this  day,  but  Avoli  Namli, 
the  teacher,  had  no  heart  for  his  work.  He  got  into 
disputes  with  the  people,  and  at  last  one  day,  gathering 
his  odds  and  ends  together,  he  and  his  wife  left  Unarevin 
and  returned  home. 

For  about  two  years  after,  we  were  not  able  to  fill 
the  vacancy.  However,  during  1879,  the  way  seemed 
to  be  opening  up  again.  With  a  party  of  eighty  men, 
I  went  to  Rampunumo,  had  a  good  reception  there, 
and  placed  a  teacher  named  L6v5  among  the  people. 
We  were  to  spend  the  night  at  the  village,  and  intended 
the  next  day  to  pass  on  to  Unarevin  and  settle  there 
Umo,  a  fine  young  man,  who  had  been  attending  my 
class  for  some  time  and  who  gave  every  evidence  of 
being  a  sincere  Christian.  At  Rampunumo  I  was  inter- 
ested in  seeing  a  feature  of  Erromangan  etiquette. 
Though  we  had  been  well  received  by  the  chiefs  Uven 
and  his  brother  Uvsori,  most  of  the  people  all  around 
were  heathen,  and  not  always  to  be  trusted.  However, 
they  busied  themselves  in  getting  and  preparing  food 
for  our  party,  and  the  women  were  sent  to  the  planta- 
tions to  bring  cocoanut,  tainpoli,^  dau^  and  several  other 
requisites  for  cooking.  Our  men  were  sitting  in  a  circle 
chatting  together,  when  one  of  them  caught  sight  of 
the  women  returning.  At  a  sign  from  him  every  man 
rose.  They  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder,  with  their  backs 
to  the  road,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  left,  and 


274  ERROMANGA 

in  perfect  silence  kept  in  that  position  till  the  women 
with  their  huge  bundles 'and  sweeping  skirts  had  passed 
them  all.  Then,  as  quickly,  they  seated  themselves, 
and  went  on  with  their  talk  as  if  nothing  had  interrupted 
them.  This  custom  was  evidently  to  prevent  jealousy 
arising ;  unless  he  looked  over  his  shoulder,  no  man 
could  possibly  see  the  women,  and  therefore  could  have 
no  fear  of  rousing  the  anger  of  their  husbands  and 
friends. 

During  the  whole  night  we  were  at  Rampunumo  some 
of  our  party  kept  watch,  for  fear  of  a  surprise  from  the 
heathen.  The  following  morning  we  prepared  to  say 
good-bye  to  Lovo,  and  the  chiefs  who  had  taken  him 
under  their  protection,  and  to  set  out  for  Unarevin. 
But  just  a  little  before  we  were  to  start,  a  man  named 
Umas,  a  friendly  heathen,  who  lived  very  near  Unarevin, 
arrived  with  a  present  for  me  of  two  yams  and  ^plucked 
living  fowl.  I  thanked  him  for  his  kind  thoughtfulness, 
but  spoke  to  him  very  strongly  of  the  cruelty  of  pluck- 
ing a  fowl  before  it  was  killed.  He  gave  a  peculiar 
smile,  but  made  no  reply.  Later  on  I  spoke  to  Naling, 
the  chief  of  Dillon's  Bay,  about  it.  "  Ko  sugku  igko, 
'  so  it  is  done  here,'  "  was  his  answer.  And  then,  seeing 
that  I  still  suspected  nothing,  he  gave  me  a  sharp  glance, 
saying  :  "  Misi,  si  sie  si,  '  there  is  something,' " — there  is 
more  in  this  than  you  see.  It  was  not  long  then  till  I 
knew  that  mischief  was  being  plotted ;  the  heathen  of 
the  districts  near  Unarevin  were  determined  to  prevent 
us  going  there  at  any  cost.  Umas,  in  honour,  could  not 
betray  his  own  people,  but  had  taken  this  way  to  let 
me  know  what  would  befall  me.  The  plucked  but  living 
fowl  was  a  warning ;  so  would  they  do  to  me  if  I  ven- 
tured into  their  land.  I  had  no  opportunity  of  thanking 
the  man  ;  he  was  gone,  and,  as  he  had  planned,  without 
speaking  a  word  of  warning. 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  27s 

Though  Naling  had  himself  explained  the  danger 
to  me,  he  was  indignant  when  I  told  him  we  would 
return  to  Dillon's  Bay,  taking  Umo  with  us.  He  was 
no  coward,  and  was  fuming  at  what  seemed  to  him  our 
weakness  in  giving  in  to  the  heathen.  "  Who  are 
they  ?  "  he  said  ;  "  how  dare  they  stop  us  ?  "  I  said, 
"  Naling,  my  friend !  it  is  their  land,  not  ours ;  and 
they  have  a  perfect  right  to  refuse  to  let  us  enter  it; 
we  are  not  going  to  force  the  Gospel  down  their  throats  ". 

The  day  after  we  returned  to  Dillon's  Bay,  we  were 
followed  by  Nalial,  the  chief  of  Unarevin,  who  was  very 
angry  with  the  heathen  for  preventing  his  teacher  going 
to  him.  We  could  easily  have  taken  Umo  in  the  boat 
and  placed  him  with  Nalial  in  spite  of  our  enemies, 
but  I  thought  it  wrong  to  anger  them ;  we  would  have 
been  doing  what  our  people  call  tantivi  nipmi,  '  cutting 
their  faces  off,'  which  means  showing  them  insult  and 
daring  them. 

However,  during  the  following  year  we  were  allowed, 
much  to  our  joy,  to  settle  Umo  there.  At  first  he  had 
very  little  help  or  sympathy,  but  he  gradually  won  his 
way  into  the  hearts  of  the  people.  They  could  not 
fail  to  notice  his  earnest  devotion  to  his  Master ;  his 
gentle,  Christian  character  endeared  him  to  us  all,  and 
we  felt  that  we  could  not  have  had  a  better  man  at  that 
dangerous  post.  He  had  been  at  Unarevin  for  about 
two  years,  and  had  come  for  a  short  visit  to  Dillon's 
Bay.  Mrs.  Lawrie*'  and  Mrs.  Braithwaite  were  staying 
with  us  at  the  time ;  it  was  the  beginning  of  September. 
Umo  took  the  prayer  meeting  that  week,  and  though, 
of  course,  they  could  not  understand  a  word  of  it,  both 
ladies  were  charmed  with  his  earnest  and  eloquent 
address.  Our  natives  are  rarely  eloquent^  but  we  have 
known  two  or  three  very  striking  exceptions,  and  Umo 
was  one.     The  day  after  the  prayer  meeting  he  left  us, 


276  ERROMANGA 

and  went  on  to  Rampuntampent  to  dig  up  yams  that 
he  had  planted,  intending  to  go  on  to  Unarevin  the 
next  morning. 

Meanwhile,  the  labour  vessel  "^  Ceara,  Captain  Satine, 
had  appeared  off  Unoras,  further  to  the  south,  and 
two  boats  were  sent  ashore.  One,  in  charge  of  a 
white  man,  beached  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river, 
while  the  other,  in  charge  of  a  Tanna  man,  drew  in  to 
the  north  bank.  The  Tanna  man  asked  some  natives 
who  were  standing  near  if  he  might  get  out  to  drink 
water.  They  said,  "  Yes,  you  are  quite  safe ;  see," 
pointing  to  the  schoolhouse,  "  Misi  comes  here  ".^  The 
man  jumped  out,  passed  a  group  of  women  sitting  on 
the  shore,  and  stooped  down  by  the  river  bank  as  if 
to  drink  water,  but  drank  none.  He  then  made  a  spring 
back  to  where  the  women  were  and  tried  to  catch  a 
young  girl,  Utokota.  She  slipped  away  from  him,  and 
he  stumbled  on  the  shore ;  but,  as  he  fell,  seeing  a  man 
named  YaHmyau  standing  near,  he  fired  at  and  wounded 
him.  He  then  made  another  dash  for  the  girl,  who  in 
terror  was  calling  "Nate,  nate  !"^  He  managed  to  get  hold 
of  her,  and  dragged  her  screaming  into  the  boat.  Lovo, 
her  father,  who  had  heard  his  child's  pitiful  cries,  at 
this  moment  rushed  to  the  boat  and,  trembling  with 
anger,  demanded  his  daughter  back.  He  was  pushed 
aside,  and,  seeing  that  all  his  talking  was  useless,  he 
caught  up  (and  who  could  blame  him  ?)  a  heavy  stone 
and  aimed  it  at  his  enemy.  At  once  the  scoundrel 
ordered  his  men  to  fire,  and  in  an  instant  poor  Lovo 
was  shot  dead,  right  before  his  daughter's  eyes.  What 
agony  of  grief  and  fear  that  poor  girl  must  have  suffered ! 
The  boat  was  at  once  shoved  off,  and  was  well  out  of 
range  before  the  alarm  could  be  raised  on  shore. 
Meanwhile  the  other  boat  had  managed  to  get  a  young 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  277 

boy,  we  never  knew  whether  by  fair  means  or  foul. 
Some  distance  from  the  shore  the  two  boats  met ;  the 
young  girl  was  lifted  into  the  white  man's  boat,  which 
rowed  straight  to  the  ship. 

The  other  boat  came  down  the  coast,  passed  Bunkil, 
and  pulled  in  to  a  place  about  four  miles  from  Dillon's 
Bay,  near  the  very  spot  where  our  poor  teacher  Umo 
was  busy  at  his  work.  With  Sorenau,  a  friend  of  his, 
he  was  putting  up  the  scaffolding  for  storing  his  yams,  but 
when  they  caught  sight  of  the  boat  they  proceeded  to 
go  down  to  the  shore  and  meet  it,  as  they  wanted  tobacco. 
Umo  also  carried  a  hawk  which  he  had  just  caught,  and 
thought  he  might  sell  it  to  the  strangers.  When  quite 
near,  Sorenau  said  he  would  not  go  quite  up  to  the  boat, 
but  gave  Umo  a  bow  and  arrows  which  he  was  carrying, 
asking  him  to  try  and  sell  them  for  him.  Umo  walked 
up  to  the  bows  of  the  boat ;  it  was  then  half-tide,  and 
the  boat  was  in  fairly  deep  water,  but  quite  close  to 
the  shore.  The  Tanna  man  walked  along  to  the  bows, 
and  asked  Umo  what  he  wanted  for  his  bird  and  the 
bow  and  arrows.  He  answered :  "  I  want  tobacco  ". 
The  man  then  stooped  down,  picked  up  five  sticks  of 
tobacco  and  held  them  out.  Umo,  all  unsuspecting,  put 
out  his  hand,  which  was  grabbed  fiercely.  The  poor 
fellow  struggled  to  get  free,  but  all  hope  was  gone. 
The  Tanna  man  pulled  out  his  revolver  and  shot  him 
in  the  side.  His  victim  fell  right  into  the  water,  but 
was  up  in  an  instant,  and  made  a  plunge  for  the  rocks ; 
but  the  murderer  jumped  out  of  the  boat  and  after  him, 
firing  several  shots  as  he  ran.  He  need  not  have  done 
so ;  the  first  shot  was  the  fatal  one,  and  in  a  few  seconds 
our  poor  Umo  lay  dying.  As  he  pulled  off  his  boat 
again,  the  Tanna  man  flung  out  on  the  shore  the  five 
sticks  of  tobacco. 

Sorenau  came  on  to  us  in  great  grief  the  same  day. 


278  ERROMANGA 

What  a  shock  the  news  of  this  dastardly  murder  gave 
us!  It  seemed  hard  that  one  whom  we  all  loved  so 
much,  and  who  during  his  life  had  shown  such  gentle, 
Christ-like  devotion  to  his  work,  should  be  taken  from 
us,  murdered,  and  by  one  of  a  crew  belonging  to  an 
English  ship!  Sorenau  told  us  nothing  of  the  tragedy 
at  Unepang ;  he  knew  nothing  of  it ;  so  there  could 
have  been  no  connection  between  the  two. 

The  ship  had  already  passed  us,  but  I  felt  sure  that 
when  he  heard  of  the  murder,  Captain  Satine  would  turn 
back.  I  could  not  but  think  that  he  would  be  horrified 
and  indignant,  and  that  he  would  do  his  best  to  atone. 
At  daylight  next  morning,  with  forty  men,  I  left  in  the 
Yarra-  Yarra  for  the  scene  of  the  tragedy.  We  had 
scarcely  stepped  ashore,  when  Watata  found  five  sticks 
of  tobacco  lying  close  together  near  the  rocks.  I  stood 
by  the  spot  where  Umo  had  died ;  there  were  still  blood- 
marks  everywhere,  and  the  ground  all  round  had  been 
torn  up  by  the  poor  man  in  his  death  agonies.  The 
wound  was  a  terrible  one.  We  went  up  to  the  village, 
where  the  body  was  lying,  about  two  hundred  people, 
principally  heathen,  sitting  round  it  wailing.  I  said  to 
Mrs.  Robertson  afterwards  how  thankful  I  felt  at  the 
time  that  these  people,  though  heathen,  never  for  one 
moment  blamed  us,  the  Christian  party,  for  what  had 
happened ;  they  knew  well  that  their  grief  was  ours 
also.  Still  I  felt  keenly  that  the  murder  had  been  com- 
mitted by  men  from  a  British  vessel.  To  the  native 
mind^°  this  would  mean  the  same  as  if  the  white  men 
had  done  the  deed. 

We  had  a  short  service,  and  amid  the  deepest  and  most 
heartfelt  grief  of  all  his  friends  we  buried  our  dear, 
faithful  Umo.  When  I  returned  to  Dillon's  Bay,  I  was 
surprised  to  hear  from  Mrs.  Robertson  that  there  had 
been  no  sign  of  the  Ceara ;  the  captain  had  not  returned 


OUR  WORK  ADVANCES  279 

and  evidently  had  no  intention  of  doing  so.  We  heard 
afterwards  that  she  went  in  to  Ehzabeth  Bay.  The 
chief,  NaHnewe,  knowing  nothing  of  what  had  taken 
place,  went  on  board,  but  saw  neither  the  boy  nor  the 
poor  girl  who  had  been  stolen  at  Unoras.  He  said 
they  must,  have  been  kept  under  the  hatches.  We  had 
by  this  time  heard  of  the  affair  at  Unoras,  and  were 
shocked  to  find  that  a  double  tragedy  had  taken  place 
on  that  day.  These  murders  for  a  time  destroyed  all 
our  work  in  the  Unepang  district,  and  did  serious  harm 
to  the  Mission  on  Erromanga.  Everything  was  in  con- 
fusion again,  and  it  was  many  a  long  day  before  we  were 
allowed  to  settle  another  teacher  at  Unarevin. 

When  in  Sydney,  a  month  or  two  later,  I  wrote  a 
short  statement  of  what  had  taken  place,  and  gave  it  to 
Captain  (now  Rear-Admiral)  Bridge,  who  at  once  for- 
warded it  to  the  Admiral.  The  next  day  Captain  Bridge 
told  me  that  the  Admiral  wanted  a  full  account  of  the 
murders,  with  dates  and  the  names  of  all  concerned ; 
this  I  was  able  to  write  before  leaving  for  the  home 
country.  When  in  England,  soon  after,  I  attended  a 
meeting  of  the  Committee  (in  connection  with  the 
Admiralty)  which  presided  over  affairs  in  the  Western 
Pacific.  Sir  Arthur  Gordon  was  in  the  chair,  and  Rear- 
Admirals  Hoskins  and  Wilson,  the  latter  of  whom  I  had 
already  met,  were  also  present.  After  answering  a 
number  of  questions  relating  to  our  islands  and  to  the 
labour  traffic,  I  mentioned  the  case  of  the  Ceara  at  Erro- 
manga. I  was  asked  to  write  another  statement  of  the 
whole  affair,  and  assured  that  the  murders  would  be 
fully  inquired  into.  I  heard  afterwards  that  Captain 
Satine  was  dismissed  from  the  labour  traffic.  As  to 
his  conduct  in  the  affair,  no  one  could  for  one  moment 
hold  him  responsible  for  the  murders ;  but  surely  he 
was  deeply  to  blame  for  not,  when  he  heard  of  them 


28o  ERROMANGA 

(which  he  must  have  done),  returning  at  once  to  Dillon's 
Bay  and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  atone  for  the  awful 
deeds.  It  was  a  man  in  his  employ  who  was  the  author 
of  the  tragedy,  and  as  no  reparation,  no  acknowledg- 
ment of  it  even,  was  made  by  the  captain,  we  held  him 
responsible  for  what  had  been  done. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EXTENSIVE  VISITS.— MATCH-MAKING  EXTRAORDINARY. 

On  the  22nd  of  March,  1877,  our  island  was  visited  by 
one  of  the  most  frightsome  and  destructive  hurricanes 
we  have  ever  known,  accompanied  by  heavy  floods 
wherever  there  were  streams  or  rivers.  The  storm  had 
been  brewing  for  some  days,  and,  when  the  great  sea- 
birds  began  to  fly  to  the  land  for  shelter,  we  feared  that 
it  might  grow  wild,  though  we  had  no  anticipation  that 
it  would  prove  so  disastrous  as  it  did.  It  was  about 
midnight  on  the  fourth  day  that  it  reached  its  height. 
It  was  the  sea  that  we  dreaded  most,  but,  in  a  little, 
Yomot  came  rushing  in,  crying  :  "  The  river !  The  river 
is  coming  ;  run,  Misi,  for  your  lives  ;  give  me  the  child !  " 
We  ran,  without  ever  stopping,  straight  back  from  our 
house  until  we  reached  a  great  rock  on  the  hillside. 
Here  we  took  shelter  from  the  cold,  drenching  rain. 
We  could  hear  the  noise  of  the  wind  and  sea,  and — 
what  sounded  far  worse — the  awful  roar  of  the  swollen 
river  as  it  rushed  past  our  house.  We  were  uncomfort- 
able in  our  rough  shelter,  as  it  was  very  much  exposed. 
Our  little  Tissie  was  sitting  beside  me,  her  lips  and  face 
blue  with  the  cold,  the  rain  dripping  from  the  rock 
on  to  her  head.  She  understood  Erromangan  better 
than  English,  and  I  said,  ''  Atekisah,  Tissie!  'strive  on, 
Tissie ! '  "  keep  up  your  heart.  "  Yes,"  she  answered, 
her  teeth  chattering ;  and  the  poor  child  did  keep  up 
bravely  throughout  it  all. 

(281) 


282  ERROMANGA 

When  the  storm  seemed  to  have  lessened  a  little, 
Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  ventured  down  the  hill,  and  Wa- 
tata  very  kindly  gave  up  his  house  to  us  for  the  time. 
We  made  fires,  and  Mrs.  Robertson  put  the  children 
to  sleep  and  tried  to  get  a  little  rest  herself.  I  found 
my  way  over  to  the  store-room  of  our  own  house,  and 
managed  to  get  some  dry  blankets.  But  the  smoke 
in  kind  Watata's  house  was  almost  suffocating,  and  none 
of  us  were  very  comfortable  there,  though  it  was  very 
much  better  to  be  there  than  out  in  the  storm. 

In  the  morning,  with  some  of  the  men,  I  went  to  our 
house  to  see  what  could  be  done.  One  room  was 
blown  to  the  ground,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  thatch 
was  off  the  roof  on  the  east  side.  We  actually  could  not 
get  into  the  house,  until  the  men  cut  and  dragged  away 
the  trees  and  huge  branches  that  had  fallen  everywhere. 
The  rooms  were  in  a  woful  state,  with  mud  and  leaves 
inches  thick  on  the  floors.  Things  seemed  hopelessly 
ruined.  However,  we  set  to  work  at  once  and  tackled 
one  room.  The  men  cleared  away  all  the  mud  and 
rubbish ;  then  we  heated  plenty  of  water  and  washed 
the  floor,  until  it  began  to  look  something  like  what  it 
had  been  the  day  before.  I  did  not  want  Mrs.  Robert- 
son to  come  near  the  place  until  we  had  made  things 
fairly  presentable.  I  had  beds  and  a  table  carried  in, 
and  that  evening  we  had  a  cosy  tea  in  that  room.  The 
children  were  soon  in  bed  and  asleep,  and  everything, 
as  we  looked  round,  seemed  so  clean  and  comfortable 
again  that  we  could  scarcely  realise  that  we  had  been 
homeless  the  night  before.  We  did  not  venture  to  go 
into  any  of  the  other  rooms ;  they  were  in  a  shocking 
state,  and  it  was  weeks  before  they  began  to  look  better. 

At  Cook's  Bay,  our  new  cottage  was  smashed  into 
match-wood.  When  the  people  there  saw  my  house  go 
down  they  knew,  they  said,  that  there  was  no  hope 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  283 

for  theirs,  and  took  to  the  caves.  Not  a  single  native 
hut  was  left  standing.  Two  people  were  killed  by  falling 
trees.  Netai  Neseto,  the  old  chief,  was  caught  up  into 
the  air  by  the  force  of  the  wind  and  carried  some  dis- 
tance inland;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  long  dress- 
coat  which  he  fortunately  had  on  at  the  time,  and  to 
which  his  friends  clung,  he  would  have  been  carried  off 
the  island  altogether!  So  they  said.  Both  at  Cook's 
Bay  and  Dillon's  Bay,  thousands  of  tons  of  timber  were 
swept  down  from  the  mountains.  The  whole  beach  at 
the  head  of  Cook's  Bay  was  completely  blocked ;  for  it 
was  the  largest  inland  trees  that  had  been  carried  down 
and  now  lay  in  great  banks  upon  each  other.  At  Dillon's 
Bay  it  was  different,  for  there  the  timber  was  swept 
right  out  into  the  bay.  But  the  westerly  sea  that  came 
with  the  later  hurricane  of  January,  1879,  raised  the 
huge  logs  again  and  flung  them  up  on  the  shore, 
literally  covering  every  part  of  the  beach  from  far-off 
Umpon-lu,  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  Here,  too,  as  at  Cook's  Bay,  there  was  scarcely 
a  hut  left  standing,  and  the  old  lime  schoolhouse,  built 
by  James  Gordon,  was  washed  away  bodily.  Strange  to 
say,  the  wooden  tablet  there,  with  the  inscription  to  the 
memory  of  the  martyrs,  which  was  fastened  to  one  of 
the  walls,  was  not  lost ;  we  found  it  afterwards  buried 
beneath  sand  and  mud  and  plaster. 

The  saddest  part  of  the  havoc  caused  by  the  flood 
was  the  death  of  an  old  man — Woki.  He  must  have 
been  swept  out  to  sea  in  his  hut,  for  he  was  never  seen 
after  the  storm  began.  A  young  woman  named  Navuso 
had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  drowning.  She  was 
sleeping  in  a  small  hut  some  distance  up  the  valley, 
just  near  the  bend  of  the  river,  and  awoke  to  find  her- 
self in  great  danger — the  water  rushing  all  around  her. 
It  was  a  wonder  that  she  was  not  killed  by  the  falling 


284  ERROMANGA 

hut,  for  with  it  she  was  caught  in  the  torrent  and  was 
being  carried  swiftly  away.  The  mass  of  broken  Hmbs 
of  trees  and  the  ruins  of  the  house  all  around  her 
suddenly  stopped ;  she  felt  something  strong  and  solid 
near  her  and  clung  to  it  for  dear  life.  In  a  minute,  the 
logs  and  trees  were  caught  up  again  by  the  rushing 
waters,  and  the  woman,  as  if  by  a  miracle,  was  left.  She 
found  herself  about  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  clinging 
to  a  large  bread-fruit  tree.  As  soon  as  the  danger  was 
past  she  came  down,  and  crept  into  a  cave.  Here  her 
friends  found  her,  and  in  the  morning  word  came  to  Mrs. 
Robertson  from  Navuso  begging  for  some  clothes  to 
cover  her.  The  natives,  as  a  rule,  sleep  ^  with  very  httle 
on  them ;  the  poor  woman  probably  had  only  a  small 
grass  skirt  on  her  when  she  was  carried  away,  and  that 
must  have  been  torn  from  her  by  the  flood.  Mrs. 
Robertson  at  once  sent  garments  up  to  her.  We  were 
amazed  to  hear  of  what  she  had  passed  through  during 
that  awful  night ;  hers  was,  indeed,  a  miraculous  escape 
from  death. 

At  this  time,  the  river  swept  away  many  graves  of 
natives,  and  cut  so  close  to  the  bank  where  the  graves  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  and  Mr.  Macnair  were  that  I  had 
to  move  them  back  to  the  rising  ground,  about  fifty  yards 
away.  Neither  flood  nor  tidal  wave  can  ever  touch 
them  there.  What  work  we  had  after  this  storm  in 
repairing  our  buildings,  walls,  and  roofs!  The  stone 
wall  in  front  had  to  be  rebuilt,  as  it  had  all  been  torn 
away  by  the  flood.  There  is  now  a  big  stretch  of  very 
low  land  at  a  place  v/e  call  Undam,  more  than  a  mile 
up  the  valley,  which  has  only  been  formed  since  that 
time.  The  high  land  thereabout  was  literally  shorn 
away,  and  this  flat,  with  the  old  mud  waste  left  by  the 
flood  as  its  foundation,  has  grown  up  since.  I  believe 
that  what  saved  us  all  from  being  swept  into  the  sea 


"THE  STEPS"    AT  DILLON'S   BAY. 
(the  southern  point.) 


[Pciffe  285. 


WILUAMS'   RIVER  BELOW  THE   "RAPIDS'*. 


[Page  284. 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  285 

was  the  projecting  high  rock  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river  at  the  bathing  place,  which  turned  the  course  of 
the  rushing  waters  and  thus  gave  them  a  "  sheer  '  across 
the  stream,  from  which  point  they  cut  their  way  towards 
the  sea,  covering  the  point  of  land  on  the  south  side, 
where  the  river  enters  the  bay. 

About  this  time,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  some  of  our  people 
behaved  very  strangely,  doing  nothing  that  was  actually 
wrong,  but  showing  us  little  sympathy,  just  when  we 
needed  it  so  much.  A  few  were  our  good  friends 
throughout,  and  helped  us  manfully  with  all  that  had  to 
be  done.  In  April  the  Dayspring  arrived  from  Sydney,^ 
and  what  a  treat  it  was  to  see  her,  especially,  I  suppose, 
as  we  had  had  so  little  brightness  and  cheer  before  her 
arrival.  The  people  now  seemed  really  ashamed  of  their 
conduct,  and  could  not  do  enough  to  make  up  for  the 
past  unkindness.  The  Dayspring  came  early — some 
days  before  she  was  expected.  I  remember,  all  that 
afternoon,  I  had  the  strange  feeling  that  a  ship  was  near, 
and  said  to  Mrs.  Robertson :  "  We  must  keep  a  sharp 
look-out  on  that  point ;  I  feel  sure  that  the  Dayspring 
is  near  ".  Towards  evening,  taking  Owang  with  me,  I 
went  up  to  the  hill  at  the  back  of  the  house  and  along 
to  the  north  of  the  bay,  to  see  if  I  could  find  any  trace 
of  our  goats.  Naiwan,  our  herd,  had  taken  ill,  the 
flock  had  strayed,  and  we  were  without  milk.  After  a 
long,  fruitless  search,  I  said  to  Owang  that  I  would  go 
back,  and  suggested  that  he  should  have  another  look 
before  following  me.  It  was  getting  quite  dark  then. 
Owang  was  down  almost  as  soon  as  I  was,  and,  to  my 
delight,  had  found  the  goats  and  brought  them.  I  was 
hurrying  across  to  the  yard  with  a  jug  for  the  milk  when 
L5-itevau  called  to  me,  and,  with  a  smile,  pointed  out 
seawards.  There  was  our  little  Dayspring  just  coming 
round  the  southern  point ;    I  was  right,  after  all.       Of 


286  ERROMANGA 

course,  there  was  great  excitement  then,  but  no  time 
wasted  in  getting  ready  for  her.  I  got  Yomot  to  take 
me  out  in  a  canoe,  and  soon  we  were  near  the  ship. 
By  this  time  it  was  quite  dark ;  we  could  scarcely  see 
the  vessel.  I  called  out  and  there  was  an  answer  at 
once  from  the  deck.  Captain  Braithwaite  said  he  felt 
sure  it  was  my  voice  the  moment  he  heard  it,  though 
it  seemed  to  be  coming  from  the  rocks  half-way  between 
the  river  and  the  southern  point.  So  it  was  ;  for  we 
were  paddling  close  to  Raumpong,  keeping  well  in  to 
the  shore.  I  called  again :  "  Captain  Braithwaite,  take 
care  of  your  ship  ;  the  whole  bay  is  full  of  snags  ".  The 
vessel  was  being  towed,  znd  soon  we  managed  to  get 
on  board.  Captain  Braithwaite  introduced  me  to  his 
wife,  who  was  having  her  first  trip  to  the  islands.  I 
intended  to  stay  on  board  the  ship,  for  I  had  a  notion 
that,  if  I  left  her,  the  captain  would  turn  out  to  sea 
again  till  morning,  and  the  danger  was  not  so  great 
as  to  require  that.  The  ship  needed  careful  handling 
that  was  all ;  and  I  thought  it  well  to  warn  him.  Soon 
we  were  safely  over  to  the  anchorage.  I  had  no  fear 
of  him  slipping  away  now,  and,  with  a  promise  from  the 
captain  and  his  wife  to  come  on  shore  in  the  morning, 
1  said  good-bye,  taking,  of  course,  the  ever-important 
mail-bag  with  me  in  my  canoe. 

The  next  morning,  I  again  went  in  the  canoe  with 
Naling,  but  to  Raumpong  first;  after  holding  a  short 
service  there,  which  had  been  arranged  for  some  time 
previously,  I  went  on  board  the  Daysfring.  Naling 
brought  the  canoe  on  shore,  and  I  came  with  Captain 
and  Mrs.  Braithwaite  in  the  ship's  boat.  We  had  a 
delightful  visit  from  our  friends,  and  thought  the  captain 
indeed  fortunate  in  his  wife,  who,  with  her  sweet  face 
and  kind  manner,  made  friends  wherever  she  went.  Our 
memories  of  both  Captain  and  Mrs.  Braithwaite  are  very, 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  287 

very  pleasant  ones.  The  captain  was  in  command  of 
the  Day  spring,  having  been  chief  officer  for  two  years 
previously.  For  fourteen  years  he  held  that  position, 
till  she  was  sold  in  i8go,  when  the  transit  work  of  the 
Mission  was  given  to  a  steamship  company  of  Sydney, 
whose  steamers  now  visit  the  Mission  stations  on  our 
islands  every  two  months,  and  will  make  more  frequent 
trips  when  the  trade  grows.  Our  natives  all  respected, 
as  well  as  loved  him,  and  well  they  might ;  for  he  was 
always  kind  and  considerate  to  them.  He  knew  them 
all.  by  name,  although  not  always  the  right  name,  and 
never  failed  to  give  them  a  friendly  greeting.  And  I 
think  I  need  scarcely  say  that,  in  spite  of  failings — and 
who  among  us  has  not  his  shortcomings } — we  all  loved 
and  honoured  our  bluff  old  captain.  Botany  was  his 
hobby,  and  all  his  spare  moments  were  given  to  this 
pursuit.  He  made  a  fine  collection  of  specimens,  and 
had  no  trouble  in  getting  the  natives  to  search  for  plants, 
for  they  knew  he  always  paid  them  well. 

As  for  Mrs.  Braithwaite,  one  has  only  to  go  to  those 
who  knew  her  well,  to  hear  her  spoken  of  as  she  de- 
serves. Hers  was  one  of  the  sweetest,  brightest  char- 
acters we  have  ever  known.  Mrs.  Robertson  loved  to 
have-  her  near,  and  counts  the  friendship  with  Mrs. 
Braithwaite,  as  I  am  sure  many  others  of  the  ladies  of 
our  Mission  must  do,  as  one  of  the  sweet  memories  of 
her  life.  She  always  had  a  tender  love  for  children, 
and  was  a  very  mother  to  them  all  when  they  were  on 
board  ship ;  nothing  done  for  their  pleasure  was  a 
trouble.  We  have  known  her  to  take  entire  charge  of 
the  Httle  ones,  when  their  mothers  were  ill  and  unable 
to  look  after  them.  We  used  to  say  that  the  Dayspring 
would  not  have  been  the  Dayspring  at  all  without  Mrs. 
Braithwaite,  for  she  could  smooth  away  the  rough  jars 


288  ERROMANGA 

that  her  husband  sometimes  made,  and  we  all  felt,  as  he 
must  have  felt  himself,  that  the  captain  owed  much  of 
his  success  to  her  gentleness  and  loving  tact.  Mrs. 
Robertson,  and,  I  suppose,  the  other  wives  of  the  mis- 
sionaries too,  knew  how  well  she  could  do  their  shopping 
for  them  in  Sydney,  and  many  were  the  commissions 
that  she  was  entrusted  with.  In  the  tiny,  trig  cabin 
in  the  Dayspring  there  were  on  every  trip  parcels  upon 
parcels  coming  hitherward,  and  nothing  was  ever  for- 
gotten. Mrs.  Robertson  used  to  say  what  a  comfort  it 
was  to  be  able  to  tell  Mrs.  Braithwaite  exactly  what  she 
wanted  to  buy  and  to  know  that  she  would  get  that  very 
thing  or  something  better,  if  it  was  to  be  had.  I  have 
no  doubt  that  they  all  did  find  it  "  such  a  comfort "  ; 
for  they  could  scarcely  expect  the  old  captain  to  be  fly- 
ing around  from  one  bargain  counter  to  another  all  the 
time  the  ship  was  in  Sydney. 

And,  in  the  children's  eyes,  Mrs.  Braithwaite  was  an 
ideal  woman.  Did  not  every  one  of  them,  from  one  end 
of  the  group  to  the  other,  get  twice  a  year  one  of  those 
wonderful  tins,  or  perhaps,  better  still,  odd-shaped,  old- 
fashioned  bags,  made  of  straw  work  and  bright  silks  and 
filled  with  pink  and  white  sweets — not  too  indigestible 
and  yet  not  too  wholesome — just  what  they  had  been 
dreaming  about  for  six  months  before.^  We  did  not 
think  that  this  feature  of  our  friend's  visits  was  particu- 
larly noticed  by  the  children  themselves,  until  one  day, 
when  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  were  speaking  of  all  Mrs. 
Braithwaite's  good  qualities,  our  then  baby,  Annie,  who 
was  about  five  years  old,  added  as  her  special  tribute  of 
praise  :  "  And  she  never  comes  empty-handed  ".  How- 
ever, after  all,  I  fancy  that  the  presents  had  very  little 
to  do  with  it,  and  the  biggest  share  of  their  child-love 
was  for  the  kind  giver  herself.  I  am  quite  sure  that  to 
our  children  Captain  and  Mrs.  Braithwaite  came  next 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  289 

to  their  own  father  and  mother.  When  they  were  away 
from  us  at  school  in  Sydney,  it  was  Mrs.  Braithwaite 
who  could  tell  us  all  that  we  were  longing  to  hear  about 
them ;  for  she  always  went  to  see  them  when  there,  and 
it  was  still  the  children's  greatest  treat  to  spend  a  day 
now  and  again  on  the  little  ship  in  Sydney  harbour. 
The  Daysprmg,  with  the  captain  and  his  wife,  was 
almost  to  them  a  home  again.  We  felt  very  much  the 
sad  deaths  of  our  friends  a  few  years  ago — in  1895. 
Mrs.  Braithwaite  was  taken  first,  and,  only  a  few  days 
after,  her  husband  followed  her. 

During  this  year  (1877)  the  Synod  kindly  placed  the 
Dayspring  at  my  disposal  that  I  might  make  visits  right 
round  Erromanga.  There  was  a  fortnight  of  her  time 
to  spare,  and  that  was  too  short  for  a  voyage  among 
the  other  islands.  I  was  very  glad  to  have  this  splendid 
chance  of  paying  a  visit  to  all  the  coast  districts  where 
I  was  likely  to  be  received.  Captain  Braithwaite  did 
his  part  admirably,  running  into  the  bays  with  the  vessel 
as  close  as  it  was  considered  safe.  As  soon  as  the  boat 
left  with  us,  the  Dayspring  would  stand  out  again,  till 
we  were  ready  to  leave  the  shore,  when  she  would  come 
in  to  pick  us  up.  At  all  the  districts  where  we  had 
teachers,  they  were  ready  for  us.  They  had  arrowroot 
bulbs*  in  baskets,  neatly  packed  for  taking  in  the  ship 
to  Dillon's  Bay  ;  and  besides  this,  there  were  fowls,  clubs, 
bows  and  arrows,  sandal-wood  and  money,  which,  at  my 
request,  they  were  contributing  towards  the  cost  of 
printing  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 

Leaving  Dillon's  Bay,  we  went  south,  and  then  worked 
round  to  the  east.  While  on  shore  at  Bunkil  a  heavy 
thunderstorm  came  on,  accompanied  by  an  earthquake 
and  rain ;  this  seemed  to  clear  the  weather  for  us,  and 
we  were  fortunate  in  having  it  very  fine  throughout  the 


390  ERROMANGA 

trip.  I  had  a  grand  visit  to  the  crowds  of  people  at 
Numpu-norowo,  and  spent  the  whole  day  with  them. 
In  the  evening,  the  great  Norowo  himself — the  high 
chief  in  honour  of  whom  the  district  received  its  name — 
and  a  party  of  his  men  went  off  to  the  ship  with  me, 
and  spent  the  night  on  board.  They  were  landed  the 
next  morning  after  a  huge  breakfast  of  rice,  meat  and 
tea,  but  not  before  Captain  Braithwaite  had  made  them 
presents  of  small  looking-glasses,  fish-hooks,  calico  and 
knives.  The  chief  offered  the  captain,  with  whom  he 
seemed  very  much  taken,  two  coal-black  wives  if  he 
would  only  go  on  shore  and  live  with  him.  When  the 
captain  laughingly  asked,  "  What  about  Mrs.  Braith- 
waite } "  Norowo  answered,  "  Oh !  bring  her  too ;  that 
would  only  be  three  ".  The  old  chief  was  greatly  in- 
terested and  evidently  much  flattered  by  his  own  reflec- 
tion in  the  large  mirror  in  the  saloon.  He  was  dressed  in 
— well,  we'll  say,  an  undress  uniform,  for  that  sounds 
well  at  any  rate ;  and  how  he  did  twist  and  squirm  in 
front  of  that  glass !  trying  to  see  all  round  his  body  at 
one  glance.  He  would  smile  and  laugh  like  a  young 
child,  and  occasionally  turn  round  and  jerk  his  thumb 
to  his  men,  evidently  eager  to  see  if  they  were  as 
charmed  with  his  appearance  as  he  was  himself.  They 
were  all  in  great  distress  when  they  found  that  they 
were  to  be  landed  at  a  spot  where  the  people  were  not 
friendly.  I  told  Captain  Braithwaite,  and  he  at  once 
gave  orders  that  they  should  be  landed  as  near  as 
possible  to  their  own  village.  I  went  with  them  and 
saw  them  safely  on  shore,  much  charmed  with  their 
visit  to  the  ship  and  seemingly  prepared  to  be  more 
friendly  to  the  Mission  cause. 

When  we  had  finished  all  our  work,  right  round  to 
the  extreme  north  point  of  Portinia  Bay,  the  weather 
became  unsettled.     As  the  captain,  his  officers  and  men 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  291 

had  all  done  so  much  to  help  me  so  far,  and  as  I  had 
been  able  to  visit  such  a  number  of  the  shore  villages, 
I  said  to  Captain  Braithwaite  that  he  might  now  head  his 
vessel  to  Dillon's  Bay ;  I  would  finish  visiting  the  other 
districts  by  walking  to  them  later  on.  During  this  trip, 
a  number  of  young  boys  and  girls  that  I  met  at  the 
different  villages  wanted  to  return  with  me  and  attend 
my  school,  but,  with  one  exception,  their  friends  pre- 
vented them.  This  was  a  little  girl  who  cried  so 
and  begged  to  come  that  they  allowed  her,  and  I  pro- 
mised them  that  they  might  come  and  take  her  home 
again  at  the  end  of  the  year,  when  we  were  to  go  off 
for  a  time  to  Sydney.  Mrs.  Braithwaite  stayed  with 
Mrs.  Robertson  while  we  were  away  round  the  island 
in  the  Dayspring,  and  had  an  alarming  experience  of 
earthquake  while  on  shore.  While  we  only  felt  one 
shock  at  Bunkil,  where  we  were,  Mrs.  Robertson  said 
there  must  have  been  a  hundred  during  that  same  day 
here. 

Mrs.  Braithwaite  was  quite  unnerved ;  for  no  sooner 
had  they  got  over  one  shock  than  there  would  come 
another  and  another.  From  what  the  captain  and 
I  heard  on  our  return,  it  seems  that  his  wife  and  my 
wife  had  been  busy  running  into  each  other's  arms  every 
few  minutes,  and  each  time  in  a  different  room!  The 
severest  shock  came  during  the  night,  and  hurled  a 
number  of  books  from  the  bookcase  clean  across  Mrs. 
Braithwaite's  bed  on  to  the  floor.  Nothing  would  in- 
duce her  to  sleep  alone  in  that  room  after  that  night. 

After  spending  a  fortnight  at  home,  I  started,  with  a 
company  of  fourteen  men  and  two  women,  to  visit  the 
different  settlements  on  the  north  side  of  the  island.  The 
first  morning  we  got  to  Sufa  and  Navwolu,  and  then  went 
on  to  a  small  lot  of  huts  on  the  table-land  back  from  Eliza- 


292  ERROMANGA 

beth  Bay,  where  a  number  of  men  had  encamped  while 
tending  Naliniwe,  the  chief,  who  was  ill.  Of  course  his 
three  wives  were  with  him,  and  when  we  arrived  they  were 
all  busy  preparing  dainties  to  tempt  their  husband's  appe- 
tite. However,  I  noticed  that  most  of  it  was  eaten  by  the 
chief's  brother,  son,  and  other  men  of  the  place.  Nali- 
niwe— always  the  perfect  gentleman  ^ — received  me 
and  my  party  very  graciously,  and,  though  sick,  was 
careful  to  instruct  the  men  about  him  what  food  they 
were  to  get  for  us,  giving  special  directions  about  my 
portion.  Yams  and  bananas  were  soon  brought  in,  a 
pig  and  fowls  were  killed,  and  in  a  little  time  about 
twenty  people  were  busy  preparing  our  supper.  When 
the  evening  meal  was  over,  I  talked  with  the  people 
about  "  the  word,"  and  found  the  chief  and  others  very 
willing  listeners.  Then  before  sleeping,  they,  with  my 
own  people,  all  gathered  together,  and  we  had  an  even- 
ing hymn  and  prayer  in  Naliniwe's  big  siman-lo.^  The 
next  morning  I  wrote  down  the  names  of  all,  and  then 
said  good-bye.  I  had  ridden  thus  far,  but,  as  it  would 
be  impossible  to  take  the  horse  on  any  further,  owing 
to  the  dense  scrub  and  bad  roads,  I  had  to  leave  my 
mount,  "  Bessie  " — Mr.  Gordon's  old  mare — in  charge 
of  the  chief.  Naling,  his  brother,  was  to  look  well  after 
the  bridle  and  saddle,  but,  being  a  practical  young 
heathen,  he  bestowed  all  his  care  upon  the  choke-band, 
because  he  found  it  made  a  very  nice  belt.  We  managed 
to  get  it  back  from  him,  some  time  afterwards — very 
black  and  well  varnished  with  dirt.  Some  years  after, 
this  man,  Naling  Sorumpat,  became  a  sincere  Christian, 
loving  to  do  that  which  was  right,  and  on  our  return 
from  Canada  he  was  made  a  teacher.  He  kept  this 
position  until  his  death  a  short  time  ago,  and  throughout 
was  one  of  our  most  faithful,  gentle  and  generous- 
hearted  helpers.       Naliniwe    was    to    have    joined    our 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  293 

party  at  Elizabeth  Bay,  but,  as  he  was  too  ill  to  do  this, 
an  old  man  named  Auwi-auwi  kindly  offered  to  take  his 
place  and  introduce  me  to  the  heathen  chiefs  along  the 
coast,  who  were  Naliniwe's  friends.  But  poor  Auwi- 
auwi  became  so  fatigued  after  a  day  or  two  of  walking 
that  I  persuaded  him  to  turn  back,  saying  that  we 
would  find  our  own  way  to  the  different  encampments. 
Towards  evening  we  all  got  very  hungry,  and  it  was 
with  relief  that  we  caught  sight  of  a  plantation  in  the 
distance.  But,  when  we  came  near  the  premises,  there 
was  no  one  to  be  seen,  no  one  to  give  us  anything.  We 
soon  found  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty.  We  knew  the 
man  to  whom  the  plantation  belonged,  and  so  we  cut 
as  much  sugar-cane  as  we  wanted,  and  left  the  pay  for 
him.  I  tied  up  our  payment — tobacco  and  matches — 
in  my  handkerchief,  and  was  fastening  it  to  a  tree, 
when  an  old  woman  appeared  on  the  scene.  She  gave 
us  plenty  of  sugar-cane  and  fruit,  and  took  the  pay  for 
the  owner,  who  happened  to  be  a  friend  of  hers.  Not 
long  after  that,  we  arrived  at  Pokil,  a  village  some  dis- 
tance away,  where  Numpurom  was  chief.  He  was  still 
in  heathenism,  but  often  attended  services  at  another 
village  on  the  table-land  of  Il-Efate,  where  we  had  a 
teacher.  He  gave  us  a  friendly  welcome,  and  began  at 
once  to  have  food  prepared  for  us.  I  called  him  back, 
and  said:  "Numpurom,  my  friend!  we  are  all  hungry 
and  faint ;  yams,  and  puddings,  and  sugar-cane  are  very 
good,  but  we  want  something  else,  too ;  we  want  fan 
nevag  nelat,  '  something  that  walks  on  the  ground  and 
that  grunts '."  He  laughed,  and  walking  off  to  where  a 
great  fat  pig  was  feeding  in  a  pen,  he  pointed  it  out 
to  his  men,  telling  them  to  kill  it  at  once.  It  was  evi- 
dently being  fed  for  a  nisekar  ^  or  '  feast,'  and  I  thought 
it  was  very  good  of  this  heathen  chief  to  give  it  up 
to  us  so  willingly.     My  people  knew  that  I  should  not 


294  ERROMANGA 

be  able  to  eat  the  pork  if  it  was  cooked  as  they  cook 
it.  There  were  two  women  with  us,  Namprip  and  Nu- 
feruvi,  and  the  latter,  with  her  husband,  Molep,  set  to 
work  at  once  to  prepare  a  savoury  dish  for  me.  They 
took  the  liver  and  a  few  slices  of  the  pork  itself,  and,  after 
washing  them  in  a  large  banana  leaf,  cut  them  into  fine 
pieces.  Then  these,  with  a  junk  or  two  of  fat  and  a 
little  salt,  were  put  into  a  small,  freshly  cut  bamboo,^ 
and  this  was  carefully  turned  over  a  glowing  fire  until 
the  contents  were  thoroughly  cooked.  I  suppose  it  was 
partly  because  I  was  so  hungry,  but  I  don't  think  I 
ever  enjoyed  a  meal  more  than  I  did  that  night.  The 
meat  was  cooked  to  perfection,  and  the  bamboo  gave  it 
a  peculiar  flavour,  which  seemed  to  improve  it  rather 
than  otherwise. 

One  man,  whom  I  was  very  anxious  to  see  this  trip 
was  Narai,  the  old  chief  of  Potnifi.  Nuferuvi,  his 
daughter,  and  her  husband  being  both,  in  our  party,  I 
thought  that  by  their  help  I  might  get  my  wish.  I 
heard  that  he  had  never  even  seen  a  white  man,  and 
that  he  stood  in  mortal  terror  of  me.  If  we  could  only 
get  Narai  to  be  friendly  it  would  mean  much ;  for  he 
had  a  strong  influence  over  all  the  northern  chiefs, 
that  is  to  say,  a  bad  influence.  When  we  were  within 
a  mile  or  so  of  the  village,  it  was  suggested  that  Nuferuvi 
and  Molep  should  go  on  ahead  and  find  out  if  the  old 
man  would  be  wilhng  to  see  me.  In  a  little,  a  message 
came  back  saying  that  he  would  not  see  me.  I  tried 
again  and  sent  word  that  I  would  not  expect  to  take 
his  hand,  I  would  merely  look  at  him.  But  again  a 
decided  "  No "  was  the  answer.  The  third  time  my 
messenger  went,  I  sent  a  small  present,  but  even  this  did 
not  pave  the  way  for  me.  Word  came  back  that  Narai 
had  accepted  it,  but  was  norigi  sat,  '  ashamed  and  sorry,* 
that  he  could  not  receive  me ;   it  was  not  that  he  was 


THE   SCHOOL   HOUSE   AND    "  SIMAN-LO  "    AT   ARAWAU. 


[Por/f  295. 


YOMOT,   USUO  AND   OTHER  TEACHERS. 


{Page  357. 


EXTENSIVE  VISITS  295 

nakan,  'angry,'  but  he  was  afraid^  that  he  would  surely 
take  ill  and  die  if  he  even  looked  at  me.  I  was  deter- 
mined to  get  a  glimpse  of  him ;  so,  pulling  off  my  boots 
and  socks,  I  slipped  very  quietly  along,  picking  my  way 
through  the  scrub  until  I  came  to  his  camp.  From 
behind  a  fence  made  of  dracaenas  I  got  a  really  good 
view  of  the  old  man.  He  was  sitting  on  a  mat,  my 
present  beside  him,  and  quite  close  to  him  was  a  bow 
and  arrows,  which,  it  turned  out  afterwards,  were  meant 
for  me.  Niferuvi  and  Molep  were  standing  beside  him 
talking  to  him ;  the  old  chief  was  looking  up,  seeming 
to  have  no  eyes  for  any  one  but  his  child.  Our  woman 
Namprip  was  standing  right  in  front,  between  him  and 
the  fence  behind  which  I  was  crouching,  and,  although 
I  could  see  him  plainly,  I  was  completely  hidden  from 
his  view  by  Namprip's  enormous  grass  skirts.  Un- 
fortunately, after  a  second  or  two,  she  moved,  and,  before 
I  could  do  anything,  old  Narai  had  seen  me,  and  was 
off  like  a  rocket.  He  flew  like  a  wild  moose-deer  to  the 
bush,  and  it  was  only  when  his  friends  assured  him 
that  I  was  far  away,  that  he  plucked  up  courage  to  come 
back.  He  was  evidently  deeply  superstitious,  and  in 
real  terror  of  me  and  my  supposed  witchcraft. 

We  journeyed  round  day  after  day  as  far  as  Potnuma, 
where  we  more  than  completed  the  districts  not  visited 
by  me  in  the  Dayspring.  From  Potnuma  we  struck 
inland  to  Arawau,  where  our  teacher  Soso  was  doing 
excellent  work.  At  Potnuma  one  of  my  men,  Neraipau, 
asked  me  to  allow  him  to  turn  back  several  miles,  that 
he  might  try  and  get  his  wife,  who  had  been  stolen 
from  him  by  the  heathen  while  he  was  away  working 
in  Fiji  for  the  sho?'t  space  of  seven  years.  His  pay^" 
there,  when  his  term  was  over,  was  a  box,  a  blanket 
and  two  muskets,  one  of  which  had  no  bore  in  it — solid 
throughout!     A  ship  was  leaving  for  Erromanga,  and 


296  ERROMANGA 

he  was  told  that  it  was  his  only  chance  to  get  home. 
So  home  he  came  with  his  valuables,  having  no  time 
to  look  at  them  even  until  he  had  scrambled  on  board 
the  ship.  About  his  wife,  I  said  :  "  Kik-e-pe-kik,  '  just 
as  you  please  *  "  ;  it  is  no  affair  of  mine  ;  so,  taking  with 
him  Novolu  Naiyup,  he  retraced  his  steps  about  five 
miles,  arriving  at  the  village  at  night.  It  had  evidently 
by  some  means  been  arranged  between  him  and  his 
wife  that  he  should  return  for  her,  and  it  seems  that 
she  was  on  the  watch  and  all  ready  for  flight.  Un- 
fortunately, just  when  he  was  within  a  few  feet  of  her 
hut,  a  number  of  the  village  dogs  began  to  bark,  and, 
the  men  being  aroused,  poor  Neraipau  had  to  run  for 
his  life.  Towards  morning  he  rejoined  us  at  Arawau, 
very  tired,  very  hungry,  and  very,  very  disappointed. 
He  never  got  his  wife.  Some  years  after,  when  she 
with  a  number  of  her  half-heathen  friends,  came  to  one 
of  our  gatherings  for  the  Sacrament,  I  made  the  whole 
people  pass  before  me  in  single  file  in  order  to  count 
them,  and  Neraipau  and  another  man  stood  one  on 
each  side  of  the  procession  to  help  me.  When  the  men 
had  passed,  the  women  moved  slowly  along,  and  at  one 
of  these — tall  and  graceful,  with  her  head  erect,  and 
sweeping  along  and  looking  at  no  one — I  saw  poor 
Neraipau  cast  a  longing  glance.  Another  minute  and 
she  was  gone  ;  it  was  his  wife — another  man's  wife  now. 
We  left  Arawau  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
with  two  of  the  young  men  I  reached  Dillon's  Bay  about 
ten  o'clock  that  same  night.  The  rest  of  my  party 
had  succumbed,  and  were  sleeping  in  the  bush  by  a 
stream  about  ten  miles  away.  We  were  all  very  tired 
and  glad  to  be  home  again ;  that  day  we  had  travelled 
twenty-five  miles  through  wild  bush,  crossing  seven 
streams  and  climbing  mountains  a  thousand  feet  in 
height. 


MATCH-MAKING  EXTRAORDINARY     297 

It  was  during  the  winter  of  this  year  that  our  good 
friend  and  helper,  Watata,  was  married.  He  had  served 
us  faithfully  for  four  years,  and  we  had  become  very 
much  attached  to  him.  When  he  first  came  to  us  he 
could  not  read ;  for,  although  he  had  the  Gospel  of  Luke 
in  Aneityumese  given  to  him  by  Mrs.  Geddie  when  he 
was  a  boy,  he  told  us  that  he  had  neglected  it  then, 
and  now,  having  been  years  away  from  his  island,  work- 
ing for  sandal-wood  traders  and  others,  he  was  still 
unable  to  read  and  almost  ashamed  to  try.  I  knew  the 
Aneityumese  language  well,  and  took  pleasure  in 
giving  Watata  lessons.  Soon,  with  my  help  and  Abel's 
too  (for  Abel  read  well,  and  gave  Watata  many  a  spare 
moment  of  his  time),  and  still  more  by  his  own  persever- 
ance, Watata,  though  far  from  young,  learnt  to  read 
well,  both  in  the  Aneityumese  and  Erromangan  lan- 
guages. And  his  life  was  such  a  truly  Christian  one 
that  we  suggested  to  him  that  he  should  make  the  open 
acknowledgment  of  his  faith,  and,  before  long,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Communion  of  the  Church.  After  some 
time  he  took  a  trip  in  the  Dayspring  as  boat's  crew,  and 
on  his  return  from  Sydney  I  offered  to  let  him  give  up 
work  and  go  back  to  Aneityum.  But  no ;  Watata 
seemed  determined  to  stay;  he  had  cast  in  his  lot  with 
us,  and  told  us  that  this  was  his  home.  It  was  evident 
that  he  intended  to  live  and  die  on  this  island,  and  I 
said  to  Mrs.  Robertson  one  day :  "  Well,  if  Watata  has 
made  up  his  mind  to  stay — and  he  seems  to  have  done 
that — don't  you  think  he  would  be  much  happier  if  he 
had  a  wife  .-* "  I  have  only  twice  tried  my  hand  at 
match-making ;  Watata's  case  was  one,  the  other  was 
that  of  Sole  and  Numpunia.  Both  turned  out  well,  but 
I  never  wanted  to  try  a  third  time  ;  match-making  for 
other  people  is  a  risky  business.  Mrs.  Robertson  agreed 
with  me,  and  I  straightway  set  to  work  to  look  for  a 


298  ERROMANGA 

wife  for  Watata.  It  was  useless  to  expect  to  get  one 
from  Aneityum,  for  women  were  scarce  there  ;  so  we 
had  to  make  our  own  island  the  happy  hunting  ground. 
One  day,  as  we  were  working  together,  I  spoke  to  Watata 
about  it.  "  Ko  ;  yaii  viodiu  nakiugi,  '  it  is  quite  true  ;  I 
would  like  it,'  "  was  his  reply.  Knowing  the  jealousy  of 
the  Erromangan  men,  he  had  always  been  careful  to 
avoid  rousing  it  in  any  way,  but,  all  the  same,  we  saw 
that  Watata  was  not  insensible  to  the  fascinations  of  the 
Erromangan  women.  I  remember  one  day — I  don't 
know  how  it  happened,  the  old  people  must  have  been 
less  particular  than  usual — Watata,  with  Numpunia,  Mrs. 
Robertson's  housemaid,  was  making  food  up  by  the  old 
stables ;  just  those  two ;  every  one  else  seemed  to  be 
busy.  Neheto,  another  Aneityumese  man,  was  working 
with  me,  and,  much  to  his  chagrin,  got  a  glimpse  now 
and  again  of  the  pair  busy  over  their  food-preparing. 
The  grapes  were  very,  very  sour,  and  Neheto's  face  was 
as  glum  as  Watata's  was  beaming.  Later  on,  the  oven  ^^ 
was  opened,  and  we  saw  Watata  hurrying  down.  His  face 
was  all  aglow  as  he  came  running  up  to  Neheto.  He 
held  in  his  hand  a  steaming  pudding;  "Me,  Neheto! 
nevag  virok-virok  wokon  nisekom,  '  here,  Neheto  !  take  a 
little  pudding,  very  small,  just  all  for  you '."  He  looked 
happy  enough  to  have  given  him  all  the  food  that  day. 
Neheto,  with  a  contemptuous  look  at  the  pudding  lying 
beside  him,  gave  a  snort  of  disdain  or  anger,  and,  never 
deigning  to  even  thank  his  countryman,  turned  to  his 
work  again.  Poor  Watata  retired  crestfallen ;  it  was 
hard  lines  that  Neheto  should  take  it  into  his  head  to 
be  jealous  because  he  had  been  in  "  paradise  "  for  an 
hour  or  two.  Unfortunately,  Numpunia  did  not  seem  to 
return  his  devotion.  She  may  have  thought  that  there 
was  some  danger  of  her  being  asked  to  be  his  wife, 
and  one  day,  in  my  hearing,  spoke  rather  scornfully  of 


MATCH-MAKING  EXTRAORDINARY     299 

the  poor  man.  She  wound  up  with  this  :  "  Watata  is  old, 
very,  very  old  ".  No  doubt  she  thought  that  this  was 
a  decided  proof  of  his  unfitness  to  aspire  to  her  youth 
and  beauty,  and  thought  it  well  to  give  us  a  hint  to  that 
effect. 

Utevo  was  the  first  that  I  asked  to  take  pity  on  Wa- 
tata, but  she  declined,  saying  that  her  friends  would  be 
angry  if  she  "  went  to  Aneityum  ".  "  Yes  ;  and  she  will 
marry  an  Erromangan,  who,  perhaps,  some  day  will  ill- 
use  her  and  kill  her,"  was  Watata's  comment  on  this. 
The  next  one  was  Ohai,  Rangi's  widow,  but  she  merely 
twirled  her  toes  and  stared  vacantly  at  the  ceiling,  never 
answering  a  word  to  me.  It  was  plain  that  she  did  not 
want  this  man.  All  this  was  rather  discouraging — two 
rebuffs ;  but  I  determined  to  try  a  third  time,  and  during 
a  short  visit  to  Cook's  Bay  wrote  to  Soso,  who  was  then 
teaching  at  Arawau,  asking  if  he  would  give  Watata 
his  sister  Ohai,  the  widow  of  Netai  Walis.  He  replied 
by  letter,  saying  that,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  it  was 
agreed ;  he  was  perfectly  willing,  but  that  his  sister  did 
not  belong  to  him  but  to  another  Netai  and  to  Noai. 
These  were  both  relatives  of  her  late  husband.^^  It  seems 
that  Noai  himself  had  once  wanted  Ohai ;  he  told  me  all 
about  it  years  afterwards,  when  the  bitterness  of  the 
disappointment  was  over;  it  evidently  had  been  a  big 
disappointment  at  the  time.  He  said  that  he  and  Netai 
Walis  were  great  friends,  almost  brothers,  and  one  day 
Noai  opened  his  heart  to  him.  "  Netai,  avug,  '  Netai, 
my  friend,' "  he  said ;  "  I  want  you  to  go  and  ask  Soso 
to  give  me  his  sister,  Ohai,  for  my  wife ;  this  wish  of 
mine  is  very  great,  and  I  could  not  tell  any  one  but  you. 
Will  you  do  this  for  me,  and  keep  it  secret  ?  "  Netai's 
reply  was  all  too  prompt :  "  I  would  do  many  things,  my 
brother,  for  you,  and  why  not  this ;  no  one  else  shall 
know  of  it."     He  went  straight  away  to  Soso,  repeated 


300  ERROMANGA 

Noai's  request  word  for  word,  and  added,  "  But  who 
ever  heard  of  his  having  a  sister  to  give  you?^^  Give 
me  your  sister,  Soso,  and  I  will  give  you  my  sister  in 
return."  Soso  closed  with  the  offer,  and  Netai  Walis 
carried  off  the  prize — a  clear  case  of  John  speaking  for 
himself,  and  having  no  scruples  about  doing  so.  For 
many  years  poor  Noai  (and  little  wonder)  felt  very  sore 
about  the  way  his  false  friend  had  treated  him.  I  sup- 
pose it  was  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  that,  when  Netai 
died  and  his  widow  became  the  property  of  his  two 
relatives,  Noai  should  have  been  unwilling  to  let  her 
go,  as  they  would  look  upon  it,  to  another  island. 

Whatever  was  the  reason,  both  he  and  Netai  (who  was 
teaching  at  Ehzabeth  Bay)  would  not  hear  of  the  match, 
and  were  angry  with  all  who  were  in  favour  of  it.  I 
said  to  Soso,  who  was  eager  for  me  to  atekisah,  '  strive 
for  it,'  that  we  must  let  the  matter  drop,  for  it  was  not 
worth  all  this  fuss  and  anger ;  and,  as  I  had  told  him 
in  my  first  letter,  Watata  would  not  suffer ;  he  could  do 
very  well  without  a  wife,  and  the  only  way  we  wanted 
him  to  have  one  was  with  the  full  consent  and  approval 
of  her  friends. 

One  day,  some  time  after  this,  Noai  and  Netai  ar- 
rived with  a  present  of  a  pig  and  some  yams,  and  told  me 
that  they  now  wanted  the  marriage  ;  their  nakan, '  anger,' 
had  first  been  away  down  deep,^*  then  it  had  been  here 
(pointing  to  their  throats),  and  now  it  had  flown  out 
altogether.  I  thereupon  resolved  that  all  the  energy 
for  the  match  should  be  on  iheir  side  this  time  ;  so  I 
answered  very  indifferently,  saying  that  perhaps  it  was 
just  as  well  for  Ohai  to  remain^^  only;  my  helper, 
Watata,  was  in  no  hurry,  and  could  easily  do  without  a 
wife.  They  seemed  eager  for  it  then,  insisted  that  it 
would  please  them  to  give  this  woman  to  Watata,  and 
almost  begged  for  the  marriage.       So  I,  consenting  to 


MATCH-MAKING  EXTRAORDINARY     301 

their  pleading,  told  Watata  privately  of  his  good  fortune, 
and  the  preparations  for  the  wedding  began  at  once. 
Of  course,  long  before  this,  we  knew  that  Ohai  herself 
was  willing.  I  remember  it  was  on  a  Wednesday  that 
it  took  place,  and  a  little  before  the  service  I  strolled 
up  to  Watata's  and  Abel's  house.  I  found  Watata 
quietly  reading  his  Bible.  I  had  a  nice  talk  with  him, 
speaking  of  how  long  we  had  been  together,  of  the  help 
that  he  had  been  to  us,  and  of  how  God  had  blessed  him 
during  his  years  on  Erromanga.  He  seemed  very  much 
affected,  and  I  was  deeply  touched  by  his  manly  Chris- 
tian words.  "  Misi,"  he  said,  "  I  am  a  different  man  from 
what  I  once  was ;  you  did  not  know  it,  but  when  I  first 
came  here  I  was  bad,  and  sometimes  when  a  ship  was 
in  I  used  to  steal  off  to  get  grog.  You  spoke  to  me  of 
my  Saviour,  and  taught  me  to  read  His  Word.  I  learnt 
to  read  it,  and  then,  Misi,  I  learnt  to  love  it.  Now  I  feel 
that  my  heart  is  changed ;  God  has  been  very  good  to 
me." 

On  the  whole  there  was  a  very  kindly  feeling  to 
Watata  on  the  part  of  the  Erromangans,  and,  with  only 
one  or  two  exceptions  and  those  of  no  importance,  all 
the  villagers  came  to  his  marriage.  I  said  that  if  they 
wanted  to  show  that  they  welcomed  him  as  one  of 
themselves  and  that  they  were  pleased  with  the  match, 
they  must  not  absent  themselves  from  the  ceremony  ; 
and  they  turned  out  heartily.  A  large  quantity  of  food 
was  cooked  that  afternoon  in  honour  of  the  event.  Wa- 
tata got  a  fine  wife  in  Ohai,  who  was  a  true  Christian 
woman,  and  their  marriage  was  a  very  happy  one.  He 
was  very  kind  to  her  and  to  his  two  little  step-children, 
and  provided  well  for  them.  As  an  illustration  of  how 
completely  our  natives  look  upon  a  woman  as  her 
husband's,  and  at  his  death,  his  friends',  property,  I  may 
add  that  the  Erromangans,  although  Ohai  was  never  off 


302  ERROMANGA 

her  own  island,  always  speak  of  her  as  "  Ohai,  who  went 
to  Aneityuin".  Watata's  two  children  were,  of  course, 
named  by  him,  and  received  Aneityumese  names ;  Ta- 
waitas,  the  little  girl,  died  a  few  years  ago,  but  the  son, 
Talahapa,  is  a  fine  sturdy  boy  of  about  eighteen  years, 
and  very  like  his  father  in  many  ways ;  he  has  Watata's 
own  swinging  walk,  and  often  reminds  us  of  him. 

After  his  marriage  I  said  to  Watata  that  I  would  not 
expect  such  constant  work  from  him  as  formerly ;  he 
would  still  attend  to  the  cows  and  bring  the  milk,  but 
he  was  to  have  the  rest  of  his  time  free  to  himself, 
except  when  I  needed  his  help  for  anything  special. 
What  a  comfort  he  was  to  us  during  all  the  eighteen 
years  that  he  was  with  us !  He  was  an  excellent  worker 
— reliable  and  willing,  and  never  seemed  to  find  his 
duties  irksome.  He  was  a  credit  to  his  own  island  of 
Aneityum,,  as  well  as  to  his  adopted  home,  Erromanga. 
Although  he  was  never  a  teacher,  Watata  was  such  a 
true,  earnest  Christian,  that  he  helped  the  work  in  many 
ways,  and  I  often  got  him  to  conduct  service,  both  on 
Sundays  and  at  the  weekly  prayer  meeting.  When  he 
first  came  here,  he  seemed  to  find  the  Erromangan 
language  hard,  and  spoke  it  with  difficulty ;  but  later  on, 
especially  after  his  marriage,  he  became  very  fluent,  and 
had  no  more  trouble  with  it. 

We  were  now  well  off  for  helpers,  and  since  1876  we 
had  had  with  us  another  Aneityumese  man,  Korkor. 
He  had  been  well  trained  by  Mrs.  Inglis,  who,  hearing 
that  we  were  very  much  in  need  of  a  g6od  cook,  brought 
him  to  us  during  the  trip  that  she  and  Mr.  Inglis  took 
that  year  to  say  farewell  to  all  their  fellow-missionaries. 
When  Korkor  arrived,  he  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
kitchen,  and  proved  invaluable^ — another  Watata.  He 
was  a  genuine  help  and  comfort  to  us  after  the  rough 


WORIS  NEMETANGI  303 

help  that  we  had  been  putting  up  with  for  some  time 
before.  He  was  with  us  for  three  years,  and  during  that 
time  had  never  once  to  be  sent  to  his  work.  Poor  Woris 
Nemetangi,  the  young  lad  who  had  helped  us  first,  had 
died  when  we  were  away  at  Tanna,  in  1 874.  How  much 
we  felt  that  dear  boy's  death !  It  was  Woris,  who,  as  a 
mischievous  lad,  used  to  keep  Mrs.  Robertson  busy 
doing  his  work,  but,  as  she  has  often  said,  he  more  than 
made  up  for  any  trouble  he  gave  her  then  ;  he  was 
constant  in  his  devotion  to  us  and  we  fairly  loved  him 
for  it.  In  order  to  be  near  us,  in  case  of  danger  or 
sudden  attack  from  the  heathen,  he  built  himself  a  rough 
booth  or  hut  near  the  kitchen,  and,  during  the  winter  of 
1873,  caught  a  severe  cold,  brought  on,  I  am  sure,  by 
exposure  to  the  wind  and  rain  in  that  miserable  shelter. 
It  distressed  us  to  see  him  suffering,  but  the  poor  boy 
even  then  would  not  give  up  his  work,  and  struggled  on  ; 
of  course  we  did  all  we  could  for  him.  As  the  summer 
came  on,  we  were  delighted  to  observe  that  his  health 
seemed  to  be  improving,  and  we  hoped  that  he  would 
soon  be  quite  well.  But  to  our  great  grief,  on  our 
return  from  Tanna,  we  heard  that  he  had  died  during  our 
absence ;  the  cold  had  never  left  him,  and  he  had  gradu- 
ally sunk.  That  dear  boy  gave  his  life  as  truly  in  our 
service  as  if  he  had  been  Killed  by  heathen  for  his  friend- 
ship to  us.     We  felt  heart-broken  on  hearing  of  our 

lOSSr 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AMOS  GOES  TO  ENGLAND,  AND  DIES.— THOSE  HEATHEN. 

One  of  the  earliest  and,  perhaps,  the  most  faithful  of  our 
women-helpers  on  Erromanga  was  Ohai,  one  of  the  wives 
of  Rangi,  the  Polynesian.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a 
high  chief  near  Navwolu,  a  village  to  the  north  of  Dillon's 
Bay,  and  had  been  given  to  Rangi  as  a  peace-offering 
after  one  of  his  victorious  raids  upon  the  people  of  that 
district.  She  seems  to  have  been  his  youngest  and 
favourite  wife  ;  he  was  very  kind  to  her,  as,  indeed,  he 
was  to  all  his  wives  and  children.  We  never  heard  a 
word  against  him  in  that  respect. 

When  her  husband  had  to  flee  to  Efate  (see  Chapter  ii.), 
Ohai  was  one  of  those  who  went  with  him.  After  his 
death  she,  with  her  two  little  children,  was  brought  back 
in  the  Dayspring  to  Erromanga.  She  was  then  about 
thirty  years  of  age,,  a  strong,  fine-looking  young  woman, 
and,  as  it  turned  out  afterwards,  with  a  large  amount 
of  energy.  Of  course,  she  was  no  sooner  arrived  than 
her  heathen  friends  decided  to  get  her  to  marry  again. 
Ohai  steadily  refused  to  marry  anybody,  and  in  answer 
to  an  account  of  one  suitor's  virtues  and  worth — meant 
to  soften  her  heart — scornfully  asked,  "  Will  he  give  me 
cow  to  eat  if  I  marry  him  ?  "  For  Rangi's  wives  knew 
what  it  was  to  live  well,  and  beef  was  plentiful  in  his 
camp.  No ;  he  could  not  give  her  cow  to  eat,  and 
so  his  case  was  hopeless.  After  that,  it  was  clearly 
understood  that  a  man  who  could  not  give  Ohai  cow 

(304) 


AMOS  GOES  TO  ENGLAND,  AND  DIES    305 

to  eat  need  not  waste  his  time  in  a  hopeless  attachment. 
After  a  time,  however,  in  spite  of  all  her  determination, 
she  was  forced  to  become  the  wife  of  a  man  who  lived 
at  Bunkil,  but  at  her  first  chance  she  ran  away  from 
him  and  came  to  us  at  Dillon's  Bay.  Her  great  friend 
here  was  Utevo,  a  sister  of  another  of  Rangi's  wives ;  she 
did  all  she  could  to  help  her,  and  the  two  women,  with 
Ohai's  little  children,  lived  together.  Mrs.  Robertson 
and  I  told  Ohai  that  as  long  as  she  cared  to  be  with 
us,  she  and  her  children  would  have  our  warm  friendship 
and  protection.  Soon  she  was  installed  as  washer- 
woman, sharing  the  work  with  Uviyemul,  another  wife 
of  Rangi.  At  that  time  all  the  water  had  to  be  carried 
in  buckets  to  the  house  ;  so  Mrs.  Robertson  found  it 
better  to  let  the  women  take  the  linens  up  the  river 
to  be  washed.  Men  had  to  go  with  them  to  protect 
them.  After  a  time,,  we  noticed  that  our  clothes  came 
back  with  a  very  muddy  look  about  them.  Before  long 
we  found  out  that  Ohai  and  Uviyemul  were  washing 
for  all  and  sundry — the  men's  old  shirts,  dirty,  ragged 
netoitingi,  '  loin-cloths,'  and  whatever  else  was  handy, 
being  freely  dumped  into  the  tubs  and  washed  with  our 
clothes.  We  soon  put  a  stop  to  that,  and  after  the 
first  reproof  Mrs.  Robertson  never  had  any  fault  to  find 
with  the  appearance  of  her  linens.  Ohai  was  head 
laundress  for  years,  and  after  a  time  had  also  a  plot  of 
ground  to  sweep  and  keep  in  order.  It  was  a  lesson 
to  see  that  woman  going  about  her  work.  She  was 
an  early  riser,  and  had  her  boiler  filled  and  over  the  fire 
as  soon  as  it  was  daylight.  Most  natives  would  then  sit 
still  or  go  to  sleep  again  until  the  water  boiled.  Not 
so  Ohai ;  no  time  was  wasted,  and,  until  the  boiler  was 
ready,  she  was  hard  at  work  sweeping  her  plot.  She 
was  so  energetic  and  so  faithful  that  we  became  very 
much   attached   to   her.     Her   two   children   were   con- 


3o6  ERROMANGA 

slantly  about  our  place  ;  we  practically  adopted  both 
mother  and  children.  Little  Tia  was  six  or  seven  years 
old,  and  her  brother,  Amos,  a  few  years  younger.  They 
were  both  fair-skinned,  pretty  children,  with  lovely  dark 
eyes.  Mrs.  Robertson  thought  she  would  give  Tia  a 
piece  of  work  one  day,  just  to  get  the  child  interested 
in  doing  something.  She  set  her  to  dust  the  chairs  in 
the  sitting-room,  and  in  a  short  time  came  back  to  find 
the  little  curly-headed  mite,  with  the  duster  in  her  hand, 
but  fast  asleep,  on  the  floor!  Whenever  she  got  tired, 
she  would  just  curl  herself  up,  no  matter  where  she 
was,  and  go  right  to  sleep.  When  she  got  older,  Mrs. 
Robertson  brought  her  into  the  house  altogether,  and 
took  the  utmost  pains  in  training  her.  Tia  became  very 
handy,  and  picked  up  quickly  all  that  there  was  to  learn 
about  house-work.  In  reading  she  was  rather  backward 
at  first,  but  kept  at  her  book  steadily  until  she  mas- 
tered it. 

When  Captain  Caffin  paid  his  last  visit  to  us  in  the 
Beagle,  in  1877,  he  took  a  great  fancy  to  little  Amos, 
who  was  then  about  eight  years  of  age,  and  the  boy 
seemed  to  be  just  as  fond  of  the  captain,  and  would  slip 
on  board  the  ship  at  every  chance.  He  was  made  much 
of  and  petted  by  both  officers  and  men,  and,  when  the 
captain  suggested  taking  him  with  him,,  the  boy  seemed 
crazy  to  go.  Captain  Caffin  was  a  fine,  earnest  Chris- 
tian, a  warm  friend  of  our  Mission,  and  we  knew  he 
would  be  kindness  itself  to  the  little  fellow,  but  at  first 
neither  Mrs.  Robertson  nor  I  approved  of  the  suggestion. 
However,  when  the  boy  seemed  bent  on  going,  even 
hiding  himself  on  board  the  ship,  I  asked  his  mother 
if  she  would  be  willing  to  part  with  him.  Poor  Ohai! 
she  felt  the  prospect  of  separation  keenly,  but  gave  her 
consent,   though   she   was  really   broken-hearted   when 


AMOS  GOES  TO  ENGLAND,  AND  DIES    307 

she  said  good-bye.  Captain  Caffin's  wish  was  to  have 
the  boy  thoroughly  educated  in  England,  and,  if  willing, 
when  fully  trained,  to  send  him  back  here  as  a  mission- 
ary to  his  own  island.  He  signed  an  agreement  to  that 
effect. 

When  we  went  to  Sydney  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
Mrs.  Robertson  took  with  her  Tia  as  nurse.  Captain 
Caffin  came  to  the  house  where  we  lodged  one  day 
and  brought  Amos,  looking  quite  smart  in  a  man-o'-war 
uniform.  "  Go  over  and  kiss  your  sister,  Amos,"  he 
said,  and  I  think  we  were  as  much  amused  at  his 
suggestion  as  he  was  astonished  at  the  cool,  matter-of- 
fact  way  in  which  brother  and  sister  met,  merely  shaking 
hands  rather  indifferently.^  No  doubt  in  their  own  way 
they  were  very  fond  of  each  other,  and  delighted  to  meet 
again,  but — they  would  not  show  it.  We  think  our 
Erromangans  are  exceptionally  stoical ;  they  rarely  if 
ever  speak  of  their  inmost  thoughts,  and,  however  much 
they  may  at  times  feel  sorrow  and  trouble  or  the  reverse, 
they  seem  to  take  the  greatest  pains  to  hide  it.  We  feel 
this ;  for  it  seems  almost  impossible  to  get  really  near 
their  hearts,  and  often  when  we  want  their  sympathy 
or  would  like  to  give  them  ours,  they  just  draw  into 
their  shells,  and  seem  to  be  on  guard  against  display- 
ing any  emotion.  It  was  Yomot  who  said  once  :  "  We, 
Erromangans,  cannot  talk  of  these  things.  You  think 
we  are  hard  and  have  no  feelings,  but  we  have.  But  the 
thoughts  stay  deep  unowamam,  '  in  our  hearts,'  and  we 
cannot  say  them.  We  are  not  like  other  people."  We 
know  this  is  true,  and  that,  perhaps,  they  are  more  sin- 
cere than  if  they  were  to  talk  much  ;  but,  oh !  how  often 
we  have  longed  to  hear  a  few  words  of  encouragement 
and  loving  sympathy,  and  have  been  disappointed. 

The  first  time  I  saw  Amos  after  our  arrival  in  Sydney 
was  in  the  city  one  day.     I  was  at  the   General  Post 


3o8  ERROMANGA 

Office  posting  letters,  when  I  felt  some  one  tugging  at 
my  coat,  and  on  looking  round  saw  Amos  with  one  of 
the  sailors  from  the  Beagle.  The  boy's  eyes  were  liter- 
ally streaming  with  tears,  and  he  clung  to  me  as  if  he 
would  never  let  me  go,  saying,  "  Misi,  ya  ainagku  kos 
kwontorileki  ettugkosivi  Errouianga,  '  Misi,  I  want  to  go 
back  with  you  to  our  home  at  Erromanga '."  He  was 
homesick  enough  then,  poor  little  fellow,  and  would 
have  done  anything  to  get  back.  I  said  :  "  No,  Amos, 
my  boy  ;  you  must  stick  to  your  word  now.  You  wanted 
to  come,  and,  although  you  knew  that  your  mother's 
heart  was  nearly  breaking,  you  could  scarcely  spare 
time  to  even  say  good-bye  to  her.  Captain  Caffin  has 
been  too  good  to  you  for  you  to  leave  him  now."  He 
soon  was  quite  contented  again  ;  it  was  just  the  sight 
of  us,  and  the  thought  of  his  home  that  brought  the 
sudden  rush  of  feeling,  and  that  made  him,  little  Erro- 
mangan  as  he  was,  cry  his  heart  out  in  sheer  home- 
sickness. 

On  their  arrival  in  England  he  was  placed  by  Captain 
Cafhn  at  a  good  school,  where  he  received  every  atten- 
tion and  encouragement.  He  got  on  well,  and  used  to 
send  us  neat  and  carefully  written  letters.  When  we 
were  in  Scotland,  in  1883,  I  wrote  to  Captain  Caffin, 
asking  his  permission  for  Amos  to  leave  the  school 
and  to  accept  the  invitation  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett, 
our  hosts,  to  spend  a  few  days  with  us.  His  permission 
and  also  that  of  the  master  of  the  school  given,  Amos 
soon  arrived  in  Glasgow.  We  had,  before  that,  met 
Captain  Caffin  in  London.  I  had  taken  a  few  bows  and 
arrows  home  to  Amos,  but  he  asked  me  not  to  let  the 
boy  even  see  them,  as  he  wanted  him  to  forget  every- 
thing about  the  old  life  on  Erromanga.  We,  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Barnett,  were  greatly  delighted  with  Amos ; 
he  seemed  to  have  been  splendidly  trained,  and,  as  far 


AMOS  GOES  TO  ENGLAND,  AND  DIES    309 

as  manners  went,  he  was  a  perfect  little  gentleman.  He 
had  forgotten  his  language  and  everything  about  the 
island,  and,  in  deference  to  Captain  Cafhn's  wishes,  we 
did  not  speak  much  of  Erromanga.  Amos  was  then 
about  fourteen  years  of  age.  After  some  time,  it  seemed 
to  his  friends  that  the  lad  had  scarcely  enough  ability 
for  constant  study,  and  Captain  Caffin,  after  consulting 
with  Dr.  Inglis,  decided  to  have  him  trained  as  a  printer, 
so  that  in  that  capacity  he  might  be  a  help  to  us  in  our 
work.  All  this  time,  he  had  alone  borne  the  expense 
of  Amos's  education.  This  was  no  small  amount,  and, 
at  Dr.  Inglis'  suggestion,  a  few  friends  agreed  together 
to  send  a  yearly  sum  of  ten  pounds  as  a  small  share  in 
the  cost  of  his  training,  thinking  that  the  least  they 
could  do  was  to  help  Captain  Caffin  in  his  generosity. 
Amos,  or  Thomas  Amos,  as  he  was  called  then,  went  to 
learn  printing  in  Leominster,  and  seemed  to  be  making 
good  progress.  In  a  short  time  he  would  have  been 
ready  to  come  back  to  us  here,  and  to  help  in  giving 
the  Gospel  to  his  own  countrymen.  But  God  took  him 
to  Himself.  Poor  Amos  was  hurt  while  playing  foot- 
ball, and,  after  recovering  from  that,  another  accident, 
again  at  football,  brought  on  his  fatal  illness,  and  he 
died  in  the  Hereford  Hospital  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  a 
sincere,  earnest  Christian.  The  following  extract  from 
the  Leominster  News  was  interesting  to  us,  as  we  re- 
called to  mind  the  subject  of  the  touching  sketch  as 
the  little  Erromangan  boy  that  we  had  known  years 
before :  — 

"  The  funeral  of  Thomas  Amos,  whose  death  was  re- 
ported in  our  last  issue,  took  place  on  Saturday  after- 
noon, and  excited  a  large  and  sympathetic  interest. 
Many  of  the  tradesmen  had  the  shutters  put  up,  and 
some  two  hundred  people  were  gathered  round  the 
grave  and  in  the  churchyard.  .  .  .  The  service  was  con- 


3IO  ERROMANGA 

ducted  by  the  Rev.  D.  A.  Brown.  Mr.  H.  S.  Newman 
was  also  present,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  brief  address, 
referred  to  the  last  visit  he  had  paid  to  the  deceased 
in  the  Infirmary,  describing  him  as  one  of  gentle  dis- 
position, and  simply  trusting  in  the  Saviour,  and  appeal- 
ing to  all  present  to  take  to  heart  the  lesson  of  the 
sad  event  which  had  called  them  together  and  to  prepare 
to  meet  God.  The  grave  was  visited  on  Sunday  by 
a  large  number  of  people,  and  many  were  the  signs  of 
the  kindly  interest  taken  in  the  youth  who  had  lived 
for  some  three  years  in  the  town.  The  Rev.  D.  A. 
Brown  preached  an  impressive  sermon  to  a  large  con- 
gregation on  Sunday  evening,  .  .  .  selecting  for  his  text 
the  words,  '  Many  shall  come  from  the  East  and  the 
West,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac, 
and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  '  (Matt.  viii.  1 1).  .  .  . 
Mr.  Brown  then  very  touchingly  referred  to  his  acquaint- 
ance with  Thomas  Amos,  and  gave  a  few  incidents  of 
the  life  so  sadly  closed  in  its  preparation  for  work.  .  .  . 
The  lad  was  well  educated,  and  his  training  was  intended 
as  a  preparation  for  missionary  effort.  But  fitted  better 
for  work  than  study,  arrangements  were  made  three 
years  ago  by  which  he  entered  the  Orphans'  Printing 
Press,  and  continued  certain  studies  so  that  he  might 
return  to  Erromanga  as  a  missionary  printer.  He  be- 
came well  known  in  the  town,  and  the  interest  awakened 
in  many  deepened  with  knowledge.  His  kindly  disposi- 
tion, his  share  in  athletic  sports,  his  consistent  character, 
brought  him  into  a  large  circle  of  young  men,  and  his 
face  and  influence  will  be  sadly  missed.  The  story  of 
his  accident  and  illness  was  familiar,  and  friends  and 
companions  alike  had  shown  their  sympathy.  He  bore 
his  sufferings  with  Christian  patience,  and  was  greatly 
delighted  to  find  that  he  had  so  many  friends.  Mr. 
Brown  then  described  a  visit  he  had  paid  him  in  the 


AMOS  GOES  TO  ENGLAND,  AND  DIES    311 

Infirmary,  remarking  that  he  left  the  sufferer  with  feel- 
ings of  mingled  sadness  and  gladness ;  sadness,  because 
he  saw  the  evidences  of  consumption  and  had  no  hope 
of  his  recovery  ;  gladness,  because  he  found  him  trusting 
in  the  Saviour  and  quietly  rejoicing  in  His  love.  Hopes 
had  at  one  time  been  entertained  that  he  would  get 
better,  and  that  there  was  before  him  a  future  of  useful 
work  amongst  his  own  people,  but  God  had  called  him 
to  Himself,  to  a  better  land  and  to  a  higher  service." 

Tia  was  with  us  for  a  number  of  years.  She  was 
about  fourteen  years  old  when  she  was  with  us  in 
Sydney.  She  was  our  httle  boy  Gordon's  nurse,  and 
used  to  threaten  very  indignantly,  "  I'll  tell  Misi,"  if  any 
street-child  dared  to  tease  either  her  charge  or  herself. 
She  became  a  valuable  help  to  Mrs.  Robertson,  and  was 
neat  and  particular  with  her  work.  She  was  a  pretty, 
bright  girl,  with  a  sweet  expression.  When  she  was 
eighteen,  she  was  married  to  one  of  our  young  Christian 
men,  Noragu,  who  afterwards  became  a  teacher.  They 
were  settled  at  a  village  called  Rampunumo,  where  they 
carried  on  a  good  work.  Later  on,  they  spent  two  years 
on  Tongoa,  assisting  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michelsen,  and,  on 
their  return  to  Erromanga,  Noragu  was  appointed  assis- 
tant teacher  at  Dillon's  Bay,  his  wife  helping  him  ably 
in  her  part  of  the  work.  Tia  was  always  one  of  our  most 
reliable  and  helpful  women,  and  was  a  faithful  wife  to 
her  husband  and  a  loving  mother  to  her  three  little 
children,  who  were  always  pictures  of  neatness.  Her 
sudden  death  in  1 892  was  felt  very  much  by  us  all. 

After  being  laundress  and  then  nurse,  Ohai  was  our 
faithful  cook  for  a  long  time,  and,  indeed,  was  with  us 
until  just  before  her  death.  She  was  really  a  wonderful 
woman,  and  managed  to  get  through  a  surprising  amount 
of  work  in  one  day ;  she  never  hurried,  but  just  kept 
on   steadily  and  was   never  idle — a  contrast  to   most 


312  ERROMANGA 

islanders.  Ohai  made  few  pretensions,  spoke  little  of 
her  religious  feelings,  but  her  life  showed  what  she  was, 
a  true  and  faithful  s.^rvant  of  Christ.  It  was  interesting 
to  see  how  much  every  one  respected  her ;  grown  men 
and  women  all  called  her  namo,  '  mother '.  As  she  grew 
older,  she  seemed  to  gain  more  influence  over  them 
all,  and  in  her  case  there  was  no  fear  of  jealousy  as 
there  would  certainly  have  been  with  a  younger  woman. 
She  was  thrifty  too,  and,  in  her  own  way,  was  careful 
with  our  supplies  of  food,  which  it  was  her  business  to 
divide  among  the  different  workers.  Of  course,  she 
had  a  great  number  of  grandchildren,  both  real  and 
counterfeit  ones,  who  were  always  hanging  round ;  and 
these,  too,  had  to  be  remembered,  but  Ohai  was  too 
privileged  a  person  for  us  to  make  an  ado  about  such 
matters,  and  we  always  found  that  a  little  judicious 
blindness  was  a  very  safe  thing.  I  honestly  think  that 
Ohai  had  no  equal,  certainly  no  superior,  among  all  the 
Christian  workers  in  these  islands.  When  Tia  died, 
Ohai  went  from  us  to  care  for  her  little  grandchildren, 
keeping  this  charge  faithfully  until  her  death,  which 
took  place  not  long  afterwards.  She  was  not  long 
separated  from  the  daughter  whom  she  had  loved  so 
devotedly,  for  Tia  died  m  the  latter  part  of  1892,  and 
Ohai  died  before  many  months  of  the  following  year 
had  passed. 

In  November,  1877,  we  left  the  islands  for  a  visit  to 
Sydney.  While  there,  we  had  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
and  also  a  Catechism  and  Hymnal  printed.  From  con- 
tributions of  fowls,  curiosities,  and  money  given  by  the 
natives  and  a  few  small  sums  from  friends,  we  had  about 
thirty-four  pounds  in  hand  towards  the  printing  and 
binding  of  the  Acts.  The  Foreign  Mission  Committee 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  New  South  Wales  most 


VISIT  TO  SYDNEY  313 

generously  paid  for  the  printing  of  a  thousand  copies 
of  the  Catechism,  and  we  returned  to  Erromanga  the 
following  April,  well  provided  with  the  new  books.  We 
had  to  place  our  little  boy,  who  was  far  from  well,  under 
medical  treatment,  but  he  did  not  improve  much  during 
our  stay.  During  our  absence,  a  severe  hurricane  took 
place  in  the  islands,  and,  hearing  of  this,  we  felt  that  we 
could  not  postpone  our  return.  And  yet  we  could  not 
take  back  our  poor  child,  ill  as  he  was.  But  here  our 
warm  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Anderson,^  of  the 
Royal  Mint,  Sydney,  stepped  in,  offering  to  keep  Gordon 
until  his  health  should  so  far  improve  that  it  would 
be  safe  for  him  to  return  to  us  on  Erromanga.  And 
so  devotedly  and  untiringly  did  they  care  for  our  poor 
little  sufferer  that,  when  he  came  to  us  in  Mrs.  Braith- 
waite's  care  about  seven  months  later,  we  could  scarcely 
believe  that  it  was  the  same  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ander- 
son were  always  warm,  loving  friends  to  all  the  members 
of  our  Mission,  and  we,  I  think,  have  special  cause  to 
remember  how  much  they  have  done  for  us.  It  was  a 
great  relief  to  us  to  be  able  to  have  Gordon  with  them 
for  a  time.  We  left  Sydney  on  the  ist  of  April  with 
our  two  little  girls,  our  youngest  child  having  been  born 
during  our  stay  there,  and  had  a  pleasant  run  to  Aneit- 
yum.  Mr.  Michelsen,  the  new  missionary,  representing 
the  Church  of  Otago  and  Southland,  New  Zealand,  was 
a  fellow-passenger.  We  were  glad  to  arrive  at  Erro- 
manga again  and  to  find  everything  in  excellent  order, 
and  the  Mission  cause  prospering.  The  hurricane  had 
not  done  as  much  damage  as  we  expected — an  agreeable 
surprise. 

On  the  return  trip  to  Sydney,  the  Daysfring  was 
caught  in  a  gale,  when  nearing  the  coast,  and  she  was 
almost  swamped.  A  boat,  a  hen-coop,  a  pig-sty,  and 
fowls   and    pigs    were   washed    overboard.     For   many 


314  ERROMANGA 

hours  the  httle  ship  lay-to,  and  all  hands  were  moved 
into  the  saloon,  as,  forward,  the  seas  swept  right  over 
the  ship  and  the  forecastle  was  deluged  with  water. 
Yomot  was  on  board  as  one  of  the  crew,  and  was  so 
terrified  by  the  storm  that,  on  reaching  Sydney,  he  asked 
Captain  Braithwaite  if  he  would  kindly  bring  his  wife, 
Navusia,  to  him  by  the  following  trip  of  the  Dayspring, 
as  he  was  afraid  to  risk  another  such  passage  back  to 
Erromanga !  What  about  the  poor  wife's  safety  ?  That 
did  not  seem  to  strike  him.  However,  a  few  weeks  in 
Sydney  gave  Yomot  back  his  courage,  and  he  returned 
that  same  trip  with  our  little  Gordon.  Mr.  Anderson 
used  to  tell  with  much  amusement  of  the  first  meeting 
between  Yomot  and  Gordon.  During  his  six  months 
or  so  away  from  us,  the  child  had  forgotten  Erromanga, 
and  seemed  frightened  at  black  faces.  When  Mr.  Ander- 
son took  him  down  to  the  Dayspring,  Yomot  got  sight 
of  him,  and,  with  a  rush  forward,  caught  up  Gordon 
in  his  arms  and  kissed  him.  He  had  the  good  sense  to 
laugh  when  the  child  wiped  his  face  to  get  rid  of  the 
kiss.  When  they  were  about  to  go  ashore,  Mr.  Anderson 
took  what  he  thought  was  a  safe  plan.  "  Gordon,  shake 
hands  with  Yomot,  now,"  doing  so  himself.  Gordon 
looked  doubtfully  at  the  black  hand,  put  his  slowly  into 
it,  and  then  carefully  wiped  it  all  over  his  dress.  Fear- 
ing that  poor  Yomot's  feelings  might  be  hurt,  as  soon 
as  they  got  home  Mr.  Anderson  told  Gordon  what  a 
good,  kind  man  he  was,  how  that  he  was  going  to  take 
care  of  him  back  to  his  own  home,  and  that  his  face 
and  hands  were  not  dirty  but  only  black.  The  next 
day  Yomot  called  to  see  them.  Gordon  seemed  anxious 
to  atone  for  the  mistakes  of  the  day  before,  and  did  so 
by  standing  beside  Yomot's  chair  most  of  the  time, 
raising  the  big  hands  with  his  small  hands,  and  repeat- 
ing with  great  glee — "  not  dirty,   only  black  ". 


THOSE  HEATHEN  315 

In  January,  1879,  there  came  on  us  the  alarm  of  an 
attempt  at  assassination.  It  was  a  trying  time,  but 
brought  us  very  close  to  our  own  Christian  people,  show- 
ing us  what  true  friends  they  were.  It  was  at  a  feast  ^ 
at  Unepang  that  the  plot  was  hatched.  The  heathen 
noticed  with  growing  alarm  that  they  were  losing  ground 
and  determined  to  make  a  big  stand  against  Christianity 
— a  scheme  to  kill  all  the  teachers  being  proposed.  The 
different  chiefs  were  to  ask  me  for  teachers  (but  not  all 
at  the  same  time  lest  my  suspicions  should  be  aroused), 
until  every  district  had  one.  Then,  at  a  given  time, 
all  were  to  be  massacred.  "  But,"  one  of  them  remarked, 
"what  is  the  good  of  that?  Misi  will  just  place  out 
more  teachers."  "  Kill  him,  for  he  is  the  noatnin,  '  the 
root,'  of  it  all,  and  the  nesekil,  '  snake,'  who  is  working 
against  us ;  there  have  been  many  missionaries  killed 
here,  and,  if  we  kill  him,  the  white  people  will  not  dare 
to  send  another."  It  was  arranged  that  a  number  of 
them  were  to  bring  us  baskets  of  nuvsau,  '  the  down 
from  the  tree  fern,'  for  sale.  We  had  been  asking  for 
some,  and  they  knew  we  would  buy.  All  but  two  were 
to  have  their  baskets  weighed  and  paid  for ;  they  had 
no  intention  of  losing  more  money  than  was  barely 
necessary  for  the  success  of  their  scheme.  Two  men 
were  to  be  asked  to  do  without  their  pay,  for  these  were 
to  be  the  murderers,  and  would  be  well  rewarded  for 
their  unselfishness.  While  I  was  to  be  weighing  their 
baskets  and  carefully  looking  at  the  scale  of  weights, 
they  were  to  kill  me ;  if  one  man  failed  the  other  was 
to  do  it,  and  the  friends  outside  would  be  ready  to  help 
at  a  moment's  notice.  When  they  had  finished  me, 
my  wife  and  children  were  to  be  killed.  It  was  cleverly 
and  carefully  planned,  but  a  loving  Father  had  us  in 
His  tender  keeping,  and  allowed  no  evil  to  befall  us. 
Unknown  to  our  enemies,  a  young  man  about  eighteen 


3i6  ERROMANGA 

or  twenty  years  old,  who  was  friendly  to  us,  heard  the 
whole  plot  being  discussed,  and,  slipping  away,  he 
hurried  to  Rampuntomasi  and  told  Noye,  our  teacher 
there.  The  informer  could  never,  of  course,  go  back 
to  his  own  land  after  that ;  so  he  had  to  seek  shelter 
with  the  Mission  party.  Noye  at  once  sent  two  young 
men  to  let  us  know  of  our  danger.  They  arrived  during 
the  night.  In  the  confusion  of  hearing  the  news  so 
suddenly,  the  alarm  was  raised  that  our  enemies  were 
even  then  coming  down  the  valley,  and,  of  course,  all 
was  excitement  and  dismay  in  a  moment.  The  danger, 
though  not  so  near  us  as  we  imagined,  was  yet  real 
enough.  Yomot  came  in  to  be  with  us.  "  They  are 
always  talking  of  coming ;  now  let  them  come,"  he  said. 
Mrs.  Robertson's  first  thought  was  of  our  three  sleep- 
ing children. 

"  Do  you  think  they  could  touch  them  ?  "  she  asked  in 
distress.  I  am  afraid  I  could  not  give  her  much  com- 
fort ;  I  knew  what  fiends  these  heathen  could  be  when 
roused.  When  Yomot  came  in,  she  turned  to  him 
saying,  "  Oh,  Yomot !  do  you  think  they  would  have 
the  heart  to  touch  our  sleeping  darlings  1  " 

With  one  of  his  expressive  gestures  he  turned  to  her : 
"  Mrs.  Robertson,  they  will  have  to  cut  this  body  of  mine 
in  pieces  ere  ever  they  get  near  them  ".  How  our  hearts 
warmed  to  him,  this  brave  and  tender  friend! 

Word  was  at  once  sent  to  friendly  chiefs  in  every 
direction,  and,  before  morning,  our  house  was  surrounded 
by  about  two  hundred  armed  men,  ready  to  die  in  our 
defence,  if  necessary. 

About  nine  o'clock  that  morning  we  saw  hundreds  of 
people  coming  down  the  track  on  Mount  Gordon.  Our 
foes  had  arrived,  but  we  were  prepared  for  them.  They 
soon  knew  that  the  plot  was  out,  and  a  number  of  them, 
not   coming   down   into   the   valley   at   all,   skirted   the 


THOSE  HEATHEN  317 

mountain  on  tliis  side  of  the  river  and  then  went  on  to 
Sufu,  a  heathen  village  to  the  north  of  us.  The  better 
and  less  cowardly  ones  among  them  came  down  to  our 
houses ;  among  them  were  Nariovi  Nesepau,  whom 
Nalial,  a  Christian  chief,  had,  when  still  a  heathen  and 
at  a  nisekar  or  feast,  saved  from  being  killed  by  putting 
his  arms  right  round  him,  though  it  might  have  meant 
death  to  himself.  Nariovi  saw  the  place  thronged  with 
people,  and,  turning  to  Nelat,  one  of  our  young  men, 
said  :  "  Why  are  you  all  armed  .?  "  With  a  merry  twinkle 
Nelat  replied :  "  Oh !  we  are  only  doing  this  just  out  of 
amusement".  Tangkau  began  to  speak  to  them  then, 
and  found  out  that  the  whole  thing  had  been  plotted 
exactly  as  we  had  heard.  Some  of  them  had  been 
far  from  wanting  to  take  our  hves,  but  had  been  com- 
pelled to  join  the  party,  and  now  seemed  rather  relieved 
at  the  turn  affairs  had  taken.  Umko,  the  leader  of  the 
plot,  a  determined  old  heathen,  died  very  suddenly 
soon  after  this.  He  was  lying  down,  smoking  in  his 
siman-lo,^  and,  a  little  after,  his  friends,  who  had  called 
him  and  had  got  no  answer,  going  over  to  the  house 
found  him  dead.  It  was  probably  heart-disease,  but, 
of  course,  the  people — both  his  friends  and  ours — said 
it  was  a  judgment  on  him  for  his  sins.  Certainly  it  had 
the  effect  of  frightening  all  who  were  against  us.  Some 
of  the  friendly  heathen,  who  had  not  known  of  the  plot, 
were  indignant  when  they  heard  of  it,  and  sharply 
scolded  the  others  for  their  treacherous  conduct.  Naling, 
the  chief,  and  Tangkau  wanted  us  to  block  all  the 
roads  to  the  south,  and  to  forbid  the  people  in  those 
districts  to  visit  us.  We  told  them  that  that  would 
never  do.  I  was  the  missionary  of  the  southern  people 
as  well  as  theirs,  and  we  must  just  keep  on  doing  our 
duty  and  trust  in  God  to  care  for  us. 

A  large  meeting  was  held  the  day  after  the  alarm, 


3i8  ERROMANGA 

and  several  rules  drawn  up:  (ist)  It  was  agreed  to  have 
a  barter  day — Wednesday — and  on  no  other  day  to  give 
out  or  buy  anything.  We  soon  changed  the  day  to 
Thursday,  as  Wednesday  was  fully  taken  up  with  the 
prayer-meeting  and  other  classes.  On  the  barter  day, 
the  Dillon's  Bay  people  were  to  stay  near  us. — (2nd) 
Nobody  was  to  come  into  our  premises  unless  clothed 
in  some  way,  and  a  teacher  or  some  reliable  man  must 
always  come  with  strangers. — (3rd)  No  weapon  of  any 
kind  would  be  allowed  inside  the  mission  grounds. 
The  people  all  approved  of  this,  and  saw  to  it  that  the 
rules  were  kept.  The  young  men  resolved  to  keep 
guard  round  our  house  every  night,  and  from  twelve  to 
sixteen  of  them  undertook  this  work.  I  told  them  they 
must  take  it  in  watches,  but  they  insisted  that  they 
could  very  well  do  without  sleep,  and  would  not  hear 
of  such  a  thing.  I  thought  the  best  plan  was  to  let 
them  try.  They  kept  up  well  for  several  nights,  taking 
snatches  of  sleep  in  turns,  and  in  no  order  at  all.  They 
always  had  a  cup  of  hot  tea  and  biscuits  before  going 
on  guard.  One  night  I  slipped  out  to  the  verandah 
where  they  were,  and  found  every  man  sound  asleep !  I 
took  every  gun  away,  and  piled  them  up  inside  the 
house,  then  roused  the  guard.  Their  dismay  and  shame 
at  having  been  disarmed  while  sleeping  were  amusing  to 
see ;  but  that  served  my  purpose.  The  poor  fellows 
were  thoroughly  worn  out  and  simply  could  not  keep 
awake,  and  were  now  only  too  ready  to  take  proper 
watches  of  from  three  to  four  hours  each.  This  was 
not  kept  up  long.  We  never  liked  the  idea  of  our  house 
having  to  be  guarded,  and,  as  soon  as  possible,  we 
persuaded  the  young  men  to  give  it  up.  The  heathen 
seemed  thoroughly  ashamed  of  their  conduct ;  and  on 
the  other  hand  the  alarm  seemed  to  have  had  the  effect 
of  stirring  up  our  own  people  to  greater  energy,  both 
in  caring  for  us  and  for  the  work  of  Christ  on  Erromanga. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1879,  the  Synod  of  the  New 
Hebrides  Mission  was  held  at  our  station,  Dillon's  Bay, 
Erromanga.  There  were  present  Messrs.  Paton,  Cope- 
land,  Mackenzie,  Macdonald,  Annand,  Michelsen,  Lawrie 
and  myself.  Mr.  Annand  was  Moderator.  The  only 
ladies  present,  besides  Mrs.  Robertson,  were  Mrs.  Paton 
and  Mrs.  Macdonald.  Captain  Braithwaite,  of  the  Day- 
spring,  was  on  shore  every  day,  going  many  miles 
inland  in  search  of  plants.  Auwang  usually  went  with 
him,  and,  whenever  the  roads  made  it  possible,  our  old 
horse,  "  Bessie,"  was  taken  for  the  captain's  use.  The 
business  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  grass  church, 
and  the  committee  meetings,  usually  during  the  evenings, 
in  our  own  house.  It  was  very  pleasant  to  my  wife 
and  myself  to  have  the  Synod  at  our  place,  and  we 
had  a  delightful  stretch  of  ten  days  of  Christian  fellow- 
ship with  our  friends.  One  Sunday,  we  joined  together 
in  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  on  one  week 
evening  our  Bible  Society  meeting  was  held.  During 
Synod  some  excellent  resolutions  were  passed,  one  of 
which  was  that  natives  desirous  of  joining  the  member- 
ship of  the  church  must  attend  a  special  class  for  their 
instruction  for  at  least  a  year.  Native  people  cannot 
be  too  thoroughly  trained  to  understand  the  Word  of 
God  clearly,  and  to  realise  what  is  implied  in  becoming 
a   Christian.     Many  natives  take   to  the  profession  of 

(319) 


320  ERROMANGA 

Christianity  with  very  little  consideration  apparently, 
and  we  find  that  some  of  them,  after  they  have  joined 
the  church,  live  very  much  like  the  masses  around  them. 
They  abstain  from  evil,  it  is  true,  but  they  do  little  or 
no  good.  These  are  lukewarm  Christians,  and  are  very 
different  from  many  of  our  people  who  have  really  given 
themselves  to  Christ  and  have  His  Holy  Spirit  in  their 
hearts.  The  missionaries  are  getting  more  and  more 
particular  about  whom  they  admit  into  church  fellow- 
ship, and  feel  that  in  this  matter  especially,  quality 
is  of  far  greater  importance  than  quantity.  At  this 
Synod  Mr.  Michelsen  was  appointed  to  Tongoa,  and 
Mr.  Macdonald  and  myself  were  to  assist  in  his  settle- 
ment. We  had  no  Synod  meetings  in  the  afternoons, 
taking  that  part  of  the  day  for  long  walks  through  the 
valley,  and  sometimes  up  on  to  the  table-land.  The 
boat  was  always  ready  for  any  one  wanting  to  go  off 
to  the  Daysfring,  or  for  those  who  could  enjoy  a  row 
in  the  bay  or  up  the  river. 

There  were  several  children  of  the  missionaries  also 
with  us,  and  these,  with  our  own  three,  kept  the  house 
lively.  Nearly  every  afternoon  they  all  had  rides  on 
old  "  Bessie  "  ;  they  looked  upon  these  as  very  special 
treats.  One  lady  of  the  party  also  mounted,  and,  being 
an  expert  rider,  quite  astonished  every  one  by  the 
strange  antics  her  prehistoric  charger  was  seen  to  indulge 
in.  Soon  we  ceased  to  wonder  at  these  sudden  and 
unexpected  movements  of  horsemanship  before  us,  they 
were  so  many  and  so  various,  when  a  native,  who  up 
to  that  moment  had  been  swinging  round  close  to  the 
horse's  head,  bounded  like  a  flash  past  the  horse's  tail, 
and  then  fell  in  a  heap  near  the  trembling  spectators 
thirteen  yards  off.  The  horse  also  wheeled  round, 
bolted  under  a  high  cross-bar  and  disappeared.  The 
lady  had  sat  in  the  saddle  through  all  this  as  calmly 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    321 

and  with  as  much  dignity  and  grace  as  if  she  had  been 
holding  a  reception.  But  at  the  very  instant  that  the 
horse  shot  under  the  bar,  she  shot  up  into  the  air,  with 
apparently  not  the  slightest  effort,  seemed  to  remain  sus- 
pended for  a  moment  and  then  floated  down  to  the 
earth  like  a  soft  shadow,  smiling  as  if  nothing  unusual 
had  occurred.  If  indeed  she  thought  it  worth  mention- 
ing at  all,  in  writing  her  journal  that  evening,  she  may  have 
added,  "  Had  a  delightful  ride  this  afternoon  ;  mounted  a 
lovely,  quiet  horse,  quite  young  and  so  well  trained  ;  must 
get  my  husband  to  procure,  if  possible,  one  just  like  this." 

Day  after  day  the  chief,  teachers  and  people  brought 
up  presents  of  food,  and,  long  before  the  missionaries 
had  arrived,  we  had  arranged  the  plan  of  work.  Our 
people  helped  us  admirably,  each  one  knowing  exactly 
his  or  her  duty,  and  doing  it  with  a  hearty  good-will. 
We  never  felt  the  care  or  burden  of  the  work,  for  all — 
both  visitors  and  helpers — were  kind  and  considerate. 

The  visit  of  so  many  missionaries  for  nearly  two 
weeks,  and  the  presence  of  the  little  mission  vessel  with 
her  good  captain  and  crew  in  our  bay,  had  a  very  good 
effect  on  our  people.  The  Mission  cause  on  Erromanga 
seemed  thenceforth  to  take  a  forward  movement,  and 
our  work  was  blessed  more  and  more  every  year. 

The  settlement  of  Mr.  Michelsen,  later  in  the  year,  was 
a  very  interesting  one.  There  was  not  one  Christian  on 
Tongoa  when  he  began  his  work  there  in  1879.  And  now, 
not  only  have  all  the  natives  of  that  island  become  Chris- 
tian, but  also  all  the  people  of  Tongariki  and  the  other 
islands  of  the  Shepherd  group,  and  also  a  goodly  number 
on  the  south  coast  of  Epi,  all  of  whom  have  been  gathered 
in  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Michelsen  and  his  teachers. 

The  arrival  of  our  new  church  from  Sydney  in  Sep- 
tember of  this  year  was  an  important  event  to  us  at 


322  ERROMANGA 

Dillon's  Bay,  and,  indeed,  all  over  the  island.  This  was 
the  outcome  of  my  suggestion  to  Dr.  Steel,i  when  he 
was  in  the  islands  five  years  before ;  the  church  was  to 
be  a  memorial  to  the  martyrs  of  Erro manga.  The  Rev. 
W.  Wyatt  Gill  2  (afterwards  Rev.  Dr.  Gill),  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  had  in  1862  collected  a  small  sum 
to  erect  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  WiUiams  and 
Harris.  On  account  of  the  troubled  state  of  the  island, 
this  was,  at  that  time,  impossible,  and  the  money  was 
put  in  a  Bank.  Dr.  Steel  had  taken  up  warmly  the  idea 
of  a  church  as  a  memorial  for  all  the  martyrs,  and 
during  1878,  with  the  consent  of  Mr.  Gill  and  others, 
the  sum  of  money  collected  so  many  years  before — 
now  grown  to  forty-six  pounds — was  added  to  the  other 
contributions.  Through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Steel  a  sum 
of,  in  all,  two  hundred  pounds  was  collected ;  this,  with 
the  exception  of  the  forty-six  pounds,  was  given  princi- 
pally by  friends  in  New  South  Wales.  Dr.  Steel  sug- 
gested that  we  should  try  to  have  the  church  completed 
by  November,  1879 — forty  years  from  the  date  of  the 
martyrdom  of  Williams  and  Harris.  Much  as  I  should 
have  liked  it,  this  was  impossible  in  so  short  a  time. 

The  church  was  40  ft.  by  20  ft,  and  the  frame  was  of 
Australian  blue  gum,  to  be  weather-boarded  ^  on  the 
outside  and  the  inner  walls  to  be  plastered.  The  roof 
was  of  corrugated  iron ;  windows  and  all  fittings  com- 
plete. We  began  the  work  of  erection  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  had  it  well  in  hand  before  the  end  of  the 
year ;  the  foundation  stone  was  laid  by  Usuo,  the 
second  son  of  Auwi-auwi,  the  murderer  of  John  Williams. 
For  many  years  Usuo  had  held  out  against  the  Gospel, 
and,  though  he  often  talked  of  "  taking  the  nam','  '  the 
word,'  that  is,  the  Gospel  Christianity,  seemed  hardened 
in  heathenism.  A  short  time  before  this,  he  and  his 
brother,  Tangkau,  with  Naliniwe,  the  chief  of  Soki  and 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    323 

others,  had  attended  a  heathen  feast  at  Unepang.  The 
usual  sham  fight  ^  had  turned  into  a  real  one  before  any 
one  realised  it ;  for  there  had  at  one  time  been  bitter 
enmity  between  some  of  those  present,  and  though 
it  seemed  to  have  died  away  it  had  now  burst  out 
afresh.  The  Unepang  people  turned  on  the  North- 
erners, and  blood  was  shed  freely.  Usuo  was  gashed 
on  his  face  and  head,  and  both  Tangkau  and  Naliniwe 
got  bad  arrow  wounds.  One  man  ran  to  where  the 
women  were  sitting,  and,  as  he  thought,  perhaps,  into 
safety,  but  was  followed  and  literally  hacked  to  pieces. 
Of  course  those  who  could  do  so  fled.  It  was  a  narrow 
escape  for  the  Dillon's  Bay  and  Soki  chiefs,  and,  the 
first  time  I  saw  Usuo  after  his  return,  he  looked  a  sorry 
picture.  He  came  down  to  see  me  one  day,  and  I  spoke 
seriously  with  him.  I  asked  him  if  he  did  not  think 
he  had  served  the  devil  long  enough ;  he  had  given  his 
youth  and  his  manhood  to  him,  and  what  had  he  gained ; 
now,  he  had  nearly  lost  his  life  and  had  been  badly 
wounded  at  one  of  the  devil's  feasts.  I  said :  "  Give  it 
up,  Usuo,  my  friend,  and  take  Jesus  for  your  Master 
now ;  you  have  turned  from  Him  all  these  years,  but 
you  can  come  now."  He  seemed  touched  by  this,  say- 
ing that  he  wanted  to  become  a  Christian,  and  from 
this  time  he  would  try  to  give  up  all  his  bad  ways.  He 
kept  his  word  manfully,  and,  though  his  elder  brother 
clung  to  heathenism  for  many  a  long  day,  Usuo  came 
out  and  joined  us.  And  as  he  had  been  taught  to  read  by 
Mrs.  Gordon,  when  a  heathen  boy,  about  twenty  years 
before,  he  had  this  advantage  that  he  could  already  read 
God's  Word,  and  had  not  to  begin  at  the  very  letters  of  the 
alphabet  as  so  many  men  and  women  of  his  age  have  to  do 
Mrs.  Gordon's  labour  of  love  in  teaching  this  young 
heathen  boy  is  a  touching  lesson  for  us.  For  years, 
the  effect  of  it  seemed  lost,  and  it  was,  no  doubt,  a 


324  ERROMANGA 

grief  to  her  to  see  him  still  living  in  heathenism  and 
thinking  so  little  of  the  "  word  "  he  had  learned  to  read. 
But  the  seed  had  not  been  sown  in  vain  ;  and,  but  for 
his  early  training  with  Mrs.  Gordon,  Usuo  might  never 
have  become  the  helpful,  true  and  earnest  Christian 
that  he  was.  He  has  been  a  sincere  friend  to  the 
Mission  cause  ever  since  he  joined  us  m  1879,  and  has 
shown  by  his  consistent  hfe  that  he  has  really  given 
his  heart  to  the  Saviour.  Naling,  the  chief  of  Dillon's 
Bay,  died  in  Sydney  in  1879;  then  Usuo  took  his  place, 
and,  besides  being  chief,  he  has  been  a  teacher  for  many 
years,  and  then  an  elder  of  our  church  on  Erromanga. 

We  kept  hard  at  work  all  the  summer  on  the  new 
building,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  plastering,  it 
was  finished  before  May,  1880.  However,  we  put  off 
the  opening  for  another  month,  hoping  that  by  doing 
so  we  might  have  some  of  our  fellow-missionaries  with 
us.  Early  in  June  the  people  from  far  and  near  began 
to  gather  in.  Unfortunately,  the  Dayspring  did  not 
arrive  in  time  to  let  our  friends  be  with  us,  and  we 
thought  it  better  not  to  keep  the  people  from  distant 
villages  waiting  too  long.  The  opening  service  in  "  The 
Martyrs'  Memorial  Church  "  was  deeply  interesting.  It 
was  touching  to  hear  Usuo,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
in  public,  leading  us  in  prayer.  Others  who,  besides 
myself,  took  part  in  the  service  were  Yomot,  Atnelo, 
Netevisuo  and  Nauvi.  Yomot's  address  was  specially 
good  ;  he  contrasted  that  day,  when  we  were  worshipping 
without  fear  or  danger  in  our  beautiful  new  church, 
with  the  early  struggles  of  Joe  and  Mana  and  of  the 
Gordons  and  Macnairs.  I  was  struck  with  one  remark 
of  his.  "  Before  long,"  he  said,  "  before  this  generation 
has  passed  away,  some  here  will  tavrivri,  that  is,  forget 
or  be  in  ignorance  of,  the  very  netevaru,  '  doings,'  of 
heathenism."  This  has  proved  a  true  prophecy.  At- 
nelo, too,  spoke  simply  but  earnestly,  telling  how,  as  a 


THE  MISSION  HOUSE,    DILLON'S   BAY. 

(side  view.) 


[Par/cSaS. 


THE  MARTYRS  MEMORIAL  CHURCH. 


^,Page  325. 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    325 

boy,  he  used  to  be  tied  and  beaten  foF  coming  to  Mr. 
Gordon's  classes.  It  was  a  thanksgiving  service  for  our 
many  mercies,  not  the  least  of  these  being  the  gift  of  a 
house  in  which  to  worship  our  God,  and  the  occasion 
was  one  to  be  long  remembered  by  us  all. 

The  Martyrs'  ^  Memorial  Church  is  ^  a  very  pretty 
building  and  very  suitable  to  our  climate.  It  is  strong 
and  substantial,  stands  in  a  good  position  a  little  to  one 
side  of  the  Mission  house  but  on  somewhat  higher 
ground.  It  is  said  to  seat  two  hundred  people,  but  we 
find  with  even  one  hundred  and  fifty  it  is  uncomfortably 
full.  The  tablet  to  the  memory  of  the  martyrs,  which 
had  been  sent  to  Erromanga  by  Sydney  friends  some 
years  before,  was  now  placed  in  the  new  building.  The 
inscription  is  in  the  native  language,  and  the  English 
translation  of  it  is:  — 

Sacred  to  the  Memory 

of  the  Missionaries  who  died  on   this  Island 

JOHN  WILLIAMS 

JAMES  HARRIS 

Killed  at  Umbongkora  (Dillon's  Bay)  by  the  Natives 

November  30th,  1839. 

GEORGE  N.  GORDON 

ELLEN  C.  GORDON 

Killed  by  the  People  of  Unepang 

May  20th,  1 86 1, 

JAMES   MACNAIR 

Who  died  at  Umbongkora  (Dillon's  Bay) 

July  1 6th,  1870. 

JAMES   D.    GORDON 

Killed  at  Potnuma  (Portinia  Bay) 

March  7th,  1872. 

"  They  hazarded  their  lives  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  "  (Acts  xv.  26). 
"It  is  a  faithful  saying  and  worthy  of  all   acceptation,  that   Christ 
Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners"  (i  Tim.  i.  is). 


326  ERROMANGA 

Another  tablet,  with  an  inscription  both  in  Erro- 
mangan  and  English  reads  as  follows :  — 

"  This  building,  to  the  memory  of  the  missionaries 
who  were  martyrs  for  Christ  on  Erromanga,  was  erected 
chiefly  at  the  expense  of  friends  of  the  Mission  in  New 
South  Wales,  in  1879." 

When  the  church  was  opened,  it  was  announced  that 
all  who  wished  to  attend  services  must  come  well  clad — 
the  men  in  shirts  and  trousers,  and  the  women  and  girls 
in  light  print  dresses ;  boys  were  to  be  allowed  to  come 
wearing  only  the  netoitingi,  that  is,  the  '  lava-lava '  or 
loin-cloth.  We  said  we  would  help  them  in  this  as  much 
as  possible  ;  the  matter  of  dress  was  then  taken  up 
enthusiastically.  During  the  next  week  Mrs.  Robertson 
and  her  women  were  up  to  their  eyes  in  work,  cutting 
out  and  fitting  garments  for  all  and  sundry.  It  was 
surprising  to  see  how  well  the  people  managed  to  pre- 
pare in  that  short  time ;  for,  besides  our  own  church- 
goers, who,  as  a  rule,  were  well  off  in  the  matter  of 
clothes,  there  were  numbers  of  friendly  heathen  and 
new-comers  who  had  to  be  provided  for.  The  costumes 
the  first  Sunday  were,  to  say  the  least,  startling.  Every 
man  had  on  some  kind  of  a  coat  or  shirt,  and  trousers 
of  all  colours,  shapes  and  sizes  were  not  forgotten.  One 
woman  from  Sufu,  who,  it  seems,  had  not  been  able 
to  obtain  a  dress  in  the  time,  ventured  to  the  church 
door,  but  "  bolted "  after  one  look  at  the  gorgeously 
attired  congregation.  Mrs.  Robertson  heard  of  it,  and 
somehow  or  other  succeeded  in  finding  a  dress  for  the 
lady.  Naliniwe,  Tangkau,  Umas  and  others  were,  un- 
fortunately, shocked  at  the  appearance  of  their  wives ; 
the  creatures  looked  far  too  slim,  they  said,  and  could 
not  be  allowed  to  appear  in  Society  with  so  little  on 
them.  Yomot  and  Atnelo  came  in  perplexity  to  me 
about  it :  "  What  do  you  think,  Misi }    Perhaps  they  had 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    337 

better  put  on  a  few  of  their  own  skirts  ".  Mrs  Robert- 
son came  to  our  help,  explaining  that  she  had  never 
intended  the  women  to  leave  off  all  their  native  skirts, 
but  only  a  few  of  them,  so  that  they  might  appear  less 
like  balloons  than  usual;  so  that  the  rest  of  us  might 
have  room  to  turn  round  in  the  church.  The  aggrieved 
husbands,  after  a  little,  seemed  to  understand  matters 
better  and  took  the  affair  more  calmly.  They  v/ere  told, 
too,  that  we  did  not  insist  on  their  wives  forsaking  their 
skirts  for  European  clothes,  just  as  we  did  not  insist  on 
their  coming  to  the  church.  But,  as  they  wanted  to 
come  to  the  services,  we  felt  sure  that  they  would  respect 
our  wishes  and  those  of  our  Christian  people,  and  come 
into  God's  House  in  the  very  best  attire  that  they  could 
get.     After  that  there  was  no  more  trouble. 

The  new  church  was  a  great  comfort  to  us  and  our 
people.  We  could  then  reserve  our  schoolroom  for 
classes  only,  and  now,  more  than  in  the  earlier  years, 
all  our  classes  were  very  well  attended.  Besides  the 
early  morning  school,  Mrs.  Robertson  still  had  her  class 
of  young  people  and  children  from  about  ten  till  twelve 
o'clock,  while  for  an  hour  every  evening  the  young  men 
came  to  me  for  reading,  etc.  We  always  set  their  copy 
books  the  night  before,  in  order  that  they  could  be  used 
by  daylight  and  corrected  the  following  evening.  Com- 
monly natives  are  poor  writers  ;  they  do  not  take  enough 
pains  at  the  outset,  and  are  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  dis- 
tinguish themselves  by  sending  away  documents  to 
friends  before  they  can  form  a  single  letter  properly. 
And  when  they  do  get  to  that  habit  their  case  is  hopeless. 
However,  in  those  who  do  take  pains  we  are  well  repaid 
for  our  teaching.  Some  of  our  people  write  good,  clear 
hands ;  Yomot's  letters  were  always  neat  and  easily 
read.  Ugkerilo,  one  of  my  teachers,  writes  the  prettiest, 
clearest  hand  of  any  native  I  know,  and  it  is  a  pleasing 


328  ERROMANGA 

contrast  to  the  handwriting  of  some  white  people.  He 
is  rather  a  delicate  man,  cannot  go  about  much,  and  so 
is  a  great  correspondent.  I  have  notes  regularly  from 
him,  though  he  lives  only  a  few  miles  south  of  us. 
His  missives  are  easily  read,  but  one  never  knows  what 
request  he  is  going  to  make.  He  is  a  really  good  man 
and  an  excellent  teacher,  but  is  also  a  bit  of  a  bore 
sometimes.  Lately,  when  he  was  staying  at  Dillon's 
Bay  for  a  short  time  on  account  of  his  illness,  he 
practised  writing  all  the  time.  One  day  he  was  to  write 
me  a  letter  on  any  subject  he  liked.  "  What  could  he 
write  about  ?  "  he  said.  "  Anything ;  it  does  not  matter 
what,  if  the  letter  is  neatly  written  and  well  punctuated." 
It  came  to  me  that  evening — a  long,  carefully  worded 
account  of  our  Erromangan  Mission,  with  the  writer's 
thoughts  and  criticisms  on  it,  and  an  earnest  exhorta- 
tion to  us  all  to  strive  on  in  this  great  work.  It  was 
a  very  good  letter — quite  a  sermon  in  itself ;  but  then 
there  was  a  postscript,  "  Misi,  do  you  think  you  could 
spare  me  a  little  rice  for  my  soup  to-morrow }  "  He  is 
great  on  dates,  and  is  most  particular  to  mention  the 
day,  month,  and  even  year  on  which  any  incident  that 
he  considers  important  took  place. 

One  fortunate  thing  is  that  those  who  are  in  our 
classes — both  men  and  women — seem  really  fond  of 
writing,  and  some,  as  I  have  said,  do  take  the  utmost 
pains  to  improve.  We  had  a  fine  number  of  young 
people  about  us  at  the  time  of  which  I  am  speaking,  and 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  teach  them.  The  class  for  candi- 
dates was  held  then,  as  now,  once  a  week,  and  on  the 
same  day  as  the  prayer  meeting.  Atnelo,  who  was  then 
teacher,  was  very  helpful,  and  took  his  full  share  of 
the  work.  I  still  kept  up  my  plan  of  visiting  other 
villages  every  second  Sunday,  spending  the  whole  day 
away  from  the  mission  station,  and  Atnelo  took  turn 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CflURCH    329 

about  with  me  in  this.  He  was  one  of  the  most  gentle 
of  men,  and  in  some  ways,  though  both  were  excellent 
teachers,  a  decided  contrast  to  our  good  Yomot,  whose 
brusque  manner  sometimes  told  against  him.  Yomot 
almost  compelled  the  people  to  come  in  ;  Atnelo  drew 
them.  They  were  afraid  to  disobey  Yomot,  but  could 
not  help  obeying  Atnelo.  Both  were  noble  men,  and 
each  did  his  work  of  evangelisation  as  he  only  could 
do  it.  Atnelo  had  been  baptised  by  Mr.  James  Gordon  ; 
his  surname  was  Mackie — Atnelo  Mackie,  after  the  late 
Rev.  George  Mackie,  of  South  Yarra,  Melbourne,  a 
very  great  friend  of  our  Mission  and  of  Mr.  Gordon  in 
particular. 

One  of  the  first  ceremonies  arranged  to  take  place 
in  the  new  church  was  Ativi's  wedding — a  wedding 
which  never  came  off!  Ativi  was  a  short,  squat  man, 
belonging  to  a  village  to  the  south  of  Dillon's  Bay. 
He  was  not  much  of  a  favourite  with  anybody,  and,  to 
this  day,  is  perhaps  the  most  disagreeable  man  on  the 
whole  island ;  he  always  seems  to  have  some  grievance, 
and  usually  is  hard  to  manage.  The  wife  who  was 
picked  out  for  him  was  one  of  Mrs.  Robertson's  best 
helpers,  a  very  nice-looking  girl,  with  a  bright,  sweet 
face,  very  capable  and  well-liked  by  every  one.  Mrs. 
Robertson  used  to  say  that  Navusia  was  the  only  girl 
she  had  who  could  do  rough,  dirty  work  and  yet  keep 
clean  herself.  Ativi  had  already  bought  another  girl 
for  a  wife,  and  he  was  told  that  he  could  only  have 
Navusia  (should  she  herself  be  willing)  by  giving  up 
all  claim  to  Nanepen,  who,  as  she  was  still  a  child,  was 
living  with  her  own  people.  The  man  was  not  for  doing 
this  at  first,  and,  with  the  help  of  his  friends,  tried  to 
steal  Navusia  away.  We  heard  of  the  plot  through 
Atnelo,  to  whose  house  the  girl  had  fled,  and  we  took 


330  ERROMANGA 

good  care  that  she  should  sleep  on  the  Mission  premises 
after  that.  The  matter  seemed  to  drop  for  a  httle,  and 
then,  Ativi  behaving  himself  better,  it  was  brought  up 
again.  The  Rampuntomasi  people,  Yomot  included, 
wanted  the  match ;  the  Dillon's  Bay  people  were  against 
it.  Naiwan,  the  young  chief  of  Dillon's  Bay,  had  been 
suggested  as  a  suitable  husband  for  Navusia,  and  she 
rather  favoured  the  idea,  not  that  she  cared  for  Naiwan, 
but  he  was  decidedly  an  improvement  on  Ativi,  whom 
she  evidently  disliked.  "  Of  two  evils,"  she  wisely 
decided  to  "  choose  the  less."  Mrs.  Robertson  and  I 
spoke  to  her  by  herself,  and  she  told  us  very  plainly  that 
she  did  not  want  Ativi.  What  was  our  surprise  to  hear 
in  a  little  that,  on  being  questioned  by  her  friends,  she 
had  said  that  she  was  quite  willing,  but  that  Misi  did 
not  want  her  to  marry  that  man,  and  she  could  not  dis- 
obey him  !  Of  course,  the  girl  said  that  to  protect  herself. 
I  said :  "  Very  well ;  you  will  soon  see  that  Misi  is  not 
stopping  the  match ;  now  that  Navusia  is  willing,  they 
will  be  married  this  afternoon  ". 

Mrs.  Robertson  gave  the  girl  a  pretty  new  dress,  and 
sent  her  away  to  get  ready  for  the  ceremony.  I  sent 
for  Ativi,  and,  in  the  presence  of  Yomot  and  Atnelo, 
who  represented  the  two  contending  parties,  got  him  to 
give  up  all  claim  to  little  Nanepen.  He  was  so  delighted 
at  the  prospect  of  getting  Navusia  that  he  would  have 
promised  anything. 

Ativi's  wedding  day  was  rather  an  unfortunate  one 
for  another  person,  old  Novwai  Simon,  who  had  been 
a  "  sorcerer,"  and  had  lately  joined  the  Christian  party. 
It  was  time  for  the  service,  and  no  one  was  near  to  ring 
the  bell ;  just  then  old  Simon  appeared. 

I  said  to  him,  "  Simon,  do  you  think  you  could  ring  the 
bell  ?"  ''Kai, '  I  don't  know,'  Misi,  but  I  can  at  least  try  ;  " 
and  so  straightway  he  set  to  work.     I  had  scarcely  left 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    331 

him  when,  it  seems,  my  son  Gordon,  a  child  then  about 
four  or  five  years  old,  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  rated 
Simon  soundly  in  Erromangan  for  not  ringing  the  bell 
properly.  "  Give  it  a  good  hard  pull  as  the  other  men 
do,"  he  said.  Poor  old  Simon,  who  would  never  dream 
of  questioning  Gordon's  wisdom,  determined  to  do  his 
best.  Unfortunately,  he  had  lost  an  eye,  and  did  not 
see  that  the  framework  or  rough  box  which  covered  the 
bell  was  shaky.  He  stood  right  under  it,  and  obeying 
orders,  gave  one  long,  hard  pull,  and  the  next  thing 
he  knew  was  that  he  was  lying  on  his  back,  the  box 
beside  him,  and  Gordon  nowhere  to  be  seen.  The  poor 
fellow  was  badly  cut  about  the  face,  especially  the  nose, 
where  the  box  had  grazed  him  after  striking  on  one 
of  the  wooden  supports.  Gordon  fled  to  tell  me  of  the 
disaster,  but  poor  old  Simon  seemed  rather  to  doubt 
his  innocence  in  the  matter.  I  went  over  to  him  at 
once,  sending  for  Atnelo  to  ring  the  bell,  and  doctored 
the  bruises  as  well  as  I  could.  The  accident  might  have 
been  far  more  serious  ;  it  was  bad  enough,  but  the  whole 
affair  was  very  ludicrous,  and  it  was  as  much  as  I  could 
do  to  keep  a  sober  face,  while  I  could  see  Atnelo,  with 
his  face  discreetly  turned  away  from  us,  trying  to  ring 
the  bell  and  shaking  with  laughter  at  the  same  time. 

Soon  we  were  all  in  the  church.  I  had  bidden  every- 
body be  present,  especially  those  who  had  been  against 
the  match,  and  so  the  building  was  well  filled.  Mrs. 
Robertson  had  headache  and  fever,  and  could  not  come 
over.  Ativi  stalked  in  after  a  little,  dressed  in  a  long 
white,  flowing  nightshirt — nothing  else  !  It  had  evidently 
belonged  to  a  much  taller  man,  for  he  was  "  floating " 
in  it.  It  was  the  most  curious  get-up  for  a  bridegroom 
that  I  have  ever  seen.  The  service  began,  but  after  a 
little,  when  I  looked  round  I  could  see  no  sign  of  the 
bride.     I  slipped  over  and  said  to  old  Navusia  :  "  Where 


332  ERROMANGA 

is  your  namesake?"  "  Kai,  'I  don't  know,'"  she  said. 
There  seemed  trouble  ahead ;  so  calhng  on  a  long- 
winded  man  to  engage  in  prayer,  I  went  over  to  our 
house,  and  asked  Mrs.  Robertson  where  the  girl  was. 
"  I  thought  she  was  in  the  church  ;  I  sent  her  some  time 
ago,"  she  said.  I  found  Navusia  at  last,  sitting  in  our 
wash-house,  in  her  everyday  garments — grass  skirts  and 
a  print  jacket — and  hacking  away  at  the  seat  she  was  on 
with  a  big  butcher's  knife.  She  said  she  would  "  never 
marry  that  man  ". 

I  went  back  to  the  church  then,  and  sent  to  her 
Yomot  and  Atnelo  that  they  might  hear  her  words 
themselves.  They  misunderstood  me,  and  stupidly 
brought  her  with  them  to  the  church,  thinking  I  was 
going  to  question  her  there.  Mrs.  Robertson  had  been 
lying  down,  but  now  caught  sight  of  them  going  across, 
Yomot  and  Atnelo  leading,  and  Navusia  following  very 
unwillingly,  and  she  at  once  concluded  that  the  girl 
was  being  taken  over  to  be  married.  She  rushed  to 
the  church,  and  put  her  head  in  at  the  window.  I  never 
saw  my  wife  look  more  indignant :  "  If  you  and  these 
teachers  force  this  poor  girl  to  marry  against  her  wishes, 
you  will  surely  suffer  for  it ".  "  My  dear,  we  are  not 
thinking  of  such  a  thing,"  I  said ;  "  the  men  have  made 
a  mistake ;  I  did  not  mean  the  girl  to  come  over  at  all." 
Navusia  was  still  standing  outside,  and  I  sent  out  to 
question  her.  In  a  little  Yomot  came  in.  "  Well, 
Yomot?"  I  said.  "  She  says  she  loathes  the  man,  and 
will  never  marry  him." 

It  was  an  honest  report  of  Yomot's,  for  he  had  wanted 
the  match.  I  turned  round  on  the  people  then,  telling 
them  they  could  see  now  whether  Misi  was  stopping 
the  match  or  not.  I  did  not  blame  Ativi  as  much  as 
those  of  his  friends  who  had  tried  to  hurry  on  and  force 
the  match.    All  this  time,  the  poor  man  had  been  sitting 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    32,^ 

looking  the  picture  of  woe.  He  must  have  felt  acutely 
when  he  heard  Yomot  giving  his  report.  The  service 
closed  abiuptly,  and,  just  as  I  was  going  out,  I  happened 
to  look  back,  and  saw  Naiwan,  the  young  chief  of 
Dillon's  Bay  and  Ativi's  rival,  shaking  hands  with  and 
congratulating  him  heartily.  One  or  two  more  followed, 
and  a  whole  string  of  young  fellows  expecting  some 
fun  were  waiting  their  turn,  while  poor  Ativi  stood  per- 
spiring under  all  this  ridicule.  I  put  a  stop  to  all  that 
qmvkly,  lor  I  was  very  sorry  for  him,  and  it  was  un- 
kind of  the  young  men  to  add  to  his  misery.  I  told 
him  to  come  and  see  me  that  evening,  as  I  wanted  to 
have  a  talk  with  him.  When  he  came,  I  told  him  that, 
though  we  had  disapproved  of  the  match  all  along, 
Mrs.  Robertson  and  I  felt  much  sympathy  for  him.  He 
could  see  now  how  it  would  have  been  ;  they  could  never 
have  been  happy.  His  best  plan  now  was  to  look  for  a 
wife,  who  would  not  want  to  run  away  from  him,  and 
who  would  be  more  suitable  than  Navusia. 

But  the  man  was  angry,  and  told  me  that  he  was 
going  south  to  get  the  Unepang  people  to  help  him,  and 
that  then  they  would  come  back  and  burn  our  house 
to  the  ground.  That  was  enough  for  me.  I  said :  "  I 
was  sorry  for  you,  Ativi,  and  was  willing  to  help  you, 
but  after  this  I  am  different.  How  dare  you  speak  to 
me  like  this  ?  If  you  don't  get  out  of  that  door  and 
down  those  steps  as  quickly  as  you  ever  did  in  your  life, 
I  will  help  you  out."  He  took  the  hint  and  made  off 
in  haste,  and  that  same  night  he  struck  out  across  the 
river,  vowing  vengeance  on  all  at  Dillon's  Bay.  One 
of  our  missionaries  wrote  home  that  he  "  tucked  his 
nightshirt  under  his  arm,  and,  without  ever  looking 
back,  swam  to  the  other  side  of  the  river  ".  I  can't  be 
quite  sure  of  the  correctness   of  this  statement;    but 


334  ERROMANGA 

whatever   Ativi   did   with   his   wonderful   wedding   gar- 
ment that  was  the  last  time  that  we  ever  saw  it. 

To  make  the  story  end  properly,  I  ought  to  be  able 
to  say  that  Navusia  married  Naiwan,  but  this  did  not 
happen.  She  became  the  wife  of  Novolu  Naiyup,  a 
young  teacher,  and  for  many  years  they  were  among  our 
best  helpers  in  the  Mission.  They  were  for  some  time 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michelsen  on  Tongoa,  and  there,  too, 
Navusia  endeared  herself  to  all  by  her  sweet  and  gentle 
Christian  influence. 

I  have,  in  a  previous  chapter,  told  of  Watata's  mar- 
riage. The  only  other  match  that  I  contrived  to  make 
was  that  of  Numpunia  and  Sole.  Numpunia  had  been 
with  Mrs.  Robertson  ever  since  we  landed  on  Erro- 
manga,  and  had  given  us  much  satisfaction  and  help. 
She  and  Nuferuvi,  Molep's  wife,  had  both  been  con- 
verted under  Mr.  Gordon's  teaching.  Numpunia  had 
for  a  time  been  with  Mrs.  Macnair,  who,  however,  could 
make  nothing  of  her,  finding  her  unreliable  and  flighty. 
But  she  grew  steadier  as  she  grew  older.  Utevo  again 
had  been  Mrs.  Macnair's  best  help,  but  we  found  her 
very  liard  to  manage.  Numpunia  had  many  peculiar 
ways ;  she  had  not  Navusia's  gentleness  of  manner  nor 
sweet  disposition,  but  withal  was  a  good,  honest,  pains- 
taking girl,  and  one  who  was  always  eager  to  atone  for 
a  fault.  Mrs.  Robertson  was  very  fond  of  her.  Soon 
after  our  arrival  on  Erromanga  Numpunia  was  baptised, 
and  a  Christian  namd  was  added  from  Mrs.  Milne,  of 
Nguna,  who  had  once  spent  a  short  time  with  Mrs. 
Macnair  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and  whom  Navusia  greatly 
admired.  By  the  first  trip  of  the  Dayspring  to  the 
north,  unknown  to  us,  the  lady  wrote  to  Mrs.  Milne, 
telling  her  that  she  had  received  her  name,  and  suggest- 
ing that  Mrs.   Milne  (in   consideration  of  the   honour 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    335 

shown  her,  I  suppose)  should  send  by  return  of  the 
vessel  a  dress  and  one  or  two  handkerchiefs.  Mrs. 
Milne  was  amused  at  the  girl's  "  cheek,"  but  did  not 
fail  to  send  the  required  goods. 

Numpunia  had  a  mind  of  her  own,  and  had  already 
given  a  decided  "  no  "  to  two  or  three  suitors.  It  was 
she  who  had  made  the  scornful  remarks  about  Watata's 
age,  fearing  that  we  might  want  her  to  take  pity  on 
him.  We  had,  living  near  us  at  this  time,  a  nice  young 
man  named  Sole,  who  was  being  trained  as  a  teacher, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  that  we  could  not  do  better  than 
bring  about  a  match  between  the  two.  Since  that  time 
I  have  "  had  my  eye  teeth  cut,"  and  know  better  than 
to  interfere  in  marriage  arrangements.  Sole  was  help- 
ing me  to  lay  the  floor  of  our  verandah,  when  I  sug- 
gested my  plan  to  him.  He  seemed  rather  pleased  with 
it,  saying  that  it  was  aremai,  '  good '.  I  said  that  if 
Numpunia  were  willing  to  have  him,  he  must  not  be 
afraid  of  the  talk  of  her  friends ;  he  must  atekisah.  "  Ko, 
ya  anaiekisah,  '  I  will  strive  for  it,' "  he  replied.  Fortu- 
nately for  us  Numpunia  was  willing,  and,  when  I  spoke 
about  it  to  Noye,  her  step-father  and  one  of  my  earliest 
and  best  teachers,  he  seemed  delighted,  and  made  no 
objection  whatever. 

Everything  seemed  to  be  going  on  propitiously  until 
the  very  last,  when  some  of  the  Dillon's  Bay  people, 
Usuo  and  Tangkau  especially,  made  all  kinds  of  ob- 
jections, and  used  what  the  natives  called  "hard  talk'* 
to  Noye.  Noye  was  indignant,  and  said  to  Usuo : 
"  You  have  my  sister  "  (he  called  Usuo's  wife  his  sister)  ; 
"  you  are  not  going  to  get  my  daughter,  too."  We 
thought  it  best  that  the  ceremony  should  not  take  place 
in  the  church  but  in  our  own  house,  and  with  none 
present  except  those  who  were  willing  that  the  marriage 
should  go  on.     Numpunia  and  Sole  seemed  to  feel  that 


336  ERROMANGA 

it  was  a  big  honour,  and  quite  a  crowd  gathered  in 
our  sitting-room  for  the  occasion.  Mrs.  Robertson 
dressed  Numpunia  herself,  and  the  girl  looked  really 
pretty  in  her  simple  attire.  The  usual  way  is  for  the  girl 
to  be  tied  up  in  a  number  of  shawls  with  one  or  two 
dresses  under  them,  and  the  head  almost  covered  by  a 
big  handkerchief.  With  the  exception  of  those  who 
have  lived  near  the  Mission  station  and  know  better, 
most  of  our  women,  however  well  they  may  dress  ordin- 
arily, contrive  to  look  their  worst  on  their  wedding-day. 
Just  before  the  service  began,  and  much  to  our  surprise, 
Tangkau  appeared  at  the  door,  and  begged  to  be  allowed 
in.  He  said  he  had  not  come  to  make  trouble ;  he 
only  wanted  to  see  the  marriage,  and,  as  he  seemed  so 
eager,  we  allowed  him  to  come  in.  The  old  man  came 
on  tip-toe  into  the  room,  sat  down  beside  the  others,  and 
never  stirred  till  the  whole  thing  was  over,  going  away 
then  as  quietly  as  he  had  come.  The  semi-private 
ceremony  had  evidently  made  a  sensation. 

Soon  after  the  marriage  the  Dayspring  arrived.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Macdonald  were  in  need  of  domestic  help, 
so  we  arranged  that  Sole  and  Numpunia  should  go  to 
them.  Nelat  came  down  to  tell  us  that  some  of  the 
people  were  determined  to  prevent  them  going.  There 
was  great  excitement,  but  Sole  and  his  wife  went  on 
quietly  getting  ready,  and  we  were  soon  down  at  the 
boat.  There  was  a  big  crowd  on  the  shore,  and  some 
angry  faces  in  it,  but  no  one  dared  to  make  trouble 
then  ;  the  whole  thing  ended  in  talk.  Just  as  the  boat 
was  leaving  the  shore  one  old  mischief-maker  rose  and 
waved  his  hand  derisively  to  the  girl,  saying,  "  Kik-e- 
pau,  nasiven"  meaning,  '  my  love  to  you,  woman,'  or, 
'  good-bye,  you  woman,'  which,  in  Erromangan,  is  a  most 
offensive  salutation.  After  they  were  some  time  at 
Havannah  Harbour,  Mr.  Macdonald's  station  on  Efate, 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    337 

the  couple  returned  and  were  placed  out  as  teachers 
at  Cook's  Bay,  where  they  did  excellent  work  until  poor 
Sole's  death. 

Shortly  before  we  left  for  Canada  I  married  Num- 
punia  again — this  time  to  Nelat.  Atnelo  had  then  be- 
come a  widower,  and,  hearing  that  Numpunia  had  been 
an  old  "  flame  "  of  his,  I  gave  him  the  first  choice,  but 
he  politely  declined  the  honour.  "  To  marry  her  would 
be  nemas,  '  death,'  Misi ;  for  she  has  two  children  and 
I  should  have  to  look  after  them  as  well  as  her."  After 
Nelat  and  Numpunia  had  been  some  time  teaching  at 
Elizabeth  Bay,  they  agreed,  on  our  return  from  Canada, 
to  go  and  help  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Murray  on  Am- 
brim.  Mr.  Murray  had  spoken  to  me  about  it  at  the 
Synod,  and,  as  soon  as  the  Dayspring  brought  us  to 
Erromanga,  I  sent  for  Nelat  and  his  wife.  It  was 
cheering  to  see  their  willingness  for  this ;  we  had  no 
trouble  at  all.  Their  boxes  were  soon  in  the  boat, 
and  that  same  evening  they  were  away  in  the  Day- 
spring.  Mr.  Murray  was  very  glad  to  get  them,  and 
soon  settled  them  out  at  a  village  some  distance  from 
his  station. 

When  I  went  north  in  the  Cairndhu,  in  1887,  ^  saw 
them  both.  Captain  Eyre  very  kindly  sent  his  boat 
for  them,  which  saved  them  a  long  walk.  They  seemed 
delighted  with  their  work,  and  pleased  to  tell  me  about 
it.  Mr.  Murray  was  leaving  Ambrim  at  the  time,  and 
they,  especially  Nelat,  were  very  much  grieved  to  say 
good-bye  to  him.  They  still  stayed  on  at  Ambrim,  the 
Mission  station  being  left  under  the  care  of  one  of 
Mr.  Mackenzie's  teachers,  Kalsong,  and  his  wife,  who 
are  now  with  Mr.  Watt  on  Tanna.  One  day,  some 
time  after  this,  when  Nelat  was  away  at  his  plantation, 
an  old  heathen  woman  came  and  asked  Numpunia  to 


338  ERROMANGA 

go  and  eat  some  food  with  her.  Numpunia  thanked  her, 
but  said  that  she  could  not  go,  as  she  had  her  children 
to  look  after.  The  old  woman  replied  that  she  would 
send  the  food  to  her.  When  it  came,  poor  Numpunia 
ate  a  little  of  it,  and  very  soon  after  died  in  great 
agony;  the  food  had  been  poisoned.  Neither  Nelat 
nor  any  one  else  could  ever  find  out  the  cause  for  this ; 
for  Numpunia  seemed  to  have  no  enemies,  and  could 
have  had  no  suspicion  at  all  when  she  accepted  the 
old  woman's  gift.  Her  death  was  a  great  shock  to  us 
and  to  all  her  friends. 

After  the  manner  of  the  old  minister  who  had  been  a 
lifetime  in  one  charge,  I  can  tell  that  I  baptised  Num- 
punia ;  married  her ;  baptised  her  child,  Wamlai  ; 
married  Wamlai ;  and,  on  30th  April,  1 899,  I  baptised 
Wamlai's  child. 

During  the  summer  of  1879- 1880,  I  was  busy  building 
a  house  at  Port  Nariven  or  Potnariven.  After  the 
Cook's  Bay  house  was  destroyed,  we  arranged  to  make 
Port  Nariven  our  head  station  on  the  east  side  of  the 
island,  for  it  was  more  central  and  in  every  way  better 
suited  for  what  was  needed.  The  "  Kirk  "  of  the  Lower 
Provinces  of  Canada  had  sent  us  twenty-five  pounds  to 
be  used  in  whatever  way  we  deemed  best,  and  we 
thought  we  could  not  do  better  than  put  it  to  the  new 
house.  Our  generous  Watata  gave  five  pounds,  nearly 
all  his  savings.  The  house  cost  sixty-four  pounds,  and 
consisted  of  two  rooms,  twenty  feet  by  thirty  feet,  and 
a  verandah  ;  it  was  weather-boarded  and  had  a  thatched 
roof.  A  few  years  ago,  we  took  away  the  thatch  and 
put  on  corrugated  iron.  We  spend  a  few  months  yearly 
at  our  east  station,  and  the  house  has  been  very  useful 
to  us. 

While  I  was  framing  it,  we  stayed  for  some  time  at 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    339 

Port  Nariven,  but  our  only  dwelling  had  been  a  small 
grass  hut,  and  it  was  not  too  comfortable.  It  was  very 
damp ;  so  I  laid  a  rough  floor  in  one  room. 

One  Sunday  night,  we  caught  sight  of  a  rat  upon  one 
of  the  rafters  of  the  house  ;  its  sides  were  panting,  and  it 
was  crouching  as  if  terror-struck.  It  was  not  long  before 
we  saw  the  cause — a  great  snake,  over  four  feet  in 
length,  stretched  out  a  few  feet  from  it.  It  was  far 
from  a  pleasant  sight,  and  I  hurried  out  to  get  some  one 
to  come  and  shoot  it.  The  men  said  that  that  would 
not  do  ;  that  it  would  be  better  to  catch  it  and  bring 
it  down.  Among  natives,  there  are  those  who  can  touch 
a  snake  without  the  least  fear,  and  others  again  who 
will  never  go  near  one,  if  they  can  help.  That  night, 
unfortunately,  there  seemed  to  be  no  "  snake  man '' 
handy,  but,  after  a  little,  a  man  called  Lifu  Torileki 
gained  courage  and  said  he  would  catch  it,  if  I  would 
give  him  something  to  put  on  his  hands.  I  gave  him 
a  pair  of  socks  to  do  duty  as  gloves,  and  very  soon 
he  had  climbed  the  big  centre-pole  of  the  house,  and 
managed  to  grab  the  snake  at  the  back  of  its  neck. 
Needless  to  say,  the  rat  decamped.  I  wanted  to  pre- 
serve the  snake,  but  Mrs.  Robertson  begged  to  have 
it  taken  right  away ;  so  I  told  the  men  to  kill  it.  They 
said  they  would,  but  would  like  to  have  a  talk  with  it 
first.  So,  tying  a  rope  round  its  neck  and  making  sure 
that  it  would  not  escape  them,  they  set  to  work  to 
reprove  it  for  its  bad  conduct.  "  What  do  you  mean, 
you  nareki  sat,  '  sinner,'  by  going  into  Misi's  house  with- 
out asking  any  one's  leave,  and  at  this  hour  of  the 
night  ?  "  There  was  an  old  heathen  standing  near. 
"  Yes,  and  on  the  Sabbath  Day,  too,"  he  said,  with  a 
grin. 

Mrs.  Robertson  felt  that  she  could  not  stay  any  longer 


340  ERROMANGA 

in  that  house  ;  this  incident  had  given  her  too  much  of 
a  fright ;  so  I  took  her  and  the  children  back  to  Dillon's 
Bay.  We  started  at  two  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning, 
and  went  up  the  mountain  to  Arawau  by  torchlight. 
By  eight  o'clock  we  had  crossed  the  third  stream  and 
were  right  out  of  the  forest  and  on  the  clear  table-land 
of  West  Erromanga.  We  sat  down  and  had  breakfast 
and  a  good  rest,  which  Mrs.  Robertson  especially  sorely 
needed.  Her  skirts  were  draggled  and  damp  with  the 
long  walk,  and  there  was  still  a  long  journey  ahead  of 
us.  I  was  glad,  for  her  sake,  when  we  reached  Dillon's 
Bay,  and  were  in  our  own  comfortable  house  again. 
I  stayed  one  day  there,  and  then  went  back  to  Port 
Nariven. 

After  putting  up  the  framework  of  the  house,  I  left 
for  home  again  while  the  men  were  thatching  the  roof. 
They  let  me  know  of  it  as  soon  as  that  work  was 
finished,  when  I  went  and  did  the  weather-boarding. 
The  house  was  beautifully  thatched ;  everyone  had 
taken  the  utmost  pains  with  the  work.  The  men 
plastered  the  inside  of  the  rooms.  Yomot  laid  all  the 
floor  himself,  and  laid  it  well.  The  entire  framing  was 
done  with  the  help  of  two  of  my  young  teachers — Uturu 
and  Lifu  Ukina — both  bright  and  capable  fellows. 
Ukina  had  been  in  the  Day  spring  with  Captain  Braith- 
waite,  who  was  very  fond  of  him,  and  used  to  say  that 
he  was  "  the  smartest  man,  white  or  black,"  that  he  had 
ever  had  in  his  ship. 

It  was  towards  the  close  of  1880  that  we  lost  Soso, 
the  warm  friend  of  the  Mission.  He  had  been  Dr. 
Gordon's  ■pundit'!  and  wrote  the  letter  to  Mr.  Baton 
telling  of  the  missionary's  tragic  death.  When  we 
settled  on  Erromanga  in  1872,  he  was  in  charge  of  the 
station  at  Dillon's  Bay.       Soon  after  this,   we  placed 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    341 

him  at  Cook's  Bay,  then  at  Arawau,  and  finally  at  Port 
Nariven.  He  did  good  work  wherever  he  was.  He  was 
a  sincere  follower  of  Christ,  and  an  able  and  faithful 
teacher,  with  (for  a  native)  a  wonderful  knowledge  of 
the  Bible.  He  had  for  years  been  troubled  with 
elephantiasis  in  one  leg,  and  the  disease  gradually 
worked  through  his  whole  system.  He  became  very 
weak,  and  for  some  time  before  his  death  could  do 
no  active  work.  I  was  not  surprised  when  the  message 
came  from  him  saying  that  he  would  like  to  see  me  once 
more  before  the  end.  I  left  Dillon's  Bay  almost  at 
once,  arriving  at  Port  Nariven  late  in  the  afternoon. 
Netai  was  with  Soso,  and  doing  all  that  he  could  to 
lessen  his  sufferings.  The  dying  man  was  quite  con- 
scious, and  seemed  so  pleased  to  see  me.  I  was  very 
much  touched  when  I  heard  how  he  had  been  longing 
and  praying  that  he  might  be  spared  till  after  my  arrival. 
The  next  morning  I  went  to  see  him  again.  We  had  a 
long  and  delightful  talk ;  dear  Soso  telling  me,  as  he 
had  always  loved  to  do,  of  Mr.  Gordon's  work  and  of 
all  he  had  done  for  him.  He  knew  his  end  was  near, 
and  was  not  only  resigned  but  joyous  at  the  thought  of 
so  soon  meeting  his  Saviour.  When  I  said  good-bye 
to  him  (I  had  to  return  very  soon  to  Dillon's  Bay),  I 
asked  if  there  was  anything  that  he  would  like  me  to 
do  for  him  before  I  left.  He  answered  me  so  brightly, 
saying  that  he  needed  nothing ;  he  had  just  wanted  to 
grasp  my  hand  once  more  and  to  tell  me  that  he  was 
resting  and  trusting  in  Jesus.  Soso  "  knew  in  whom 
he  had  believed,"  and  was  just  waiting  in  his  simple 
childlike  faith  for  the  call  to  go  home.  A  few  days 
after  my  return  to  Dillon's  Bay  the  news  of  his  death 
came. 

In  March  of  the  following  year,  the  Sacrament  of  the 


342  ERROMANGA 

Lord's  Supper  was  dispensed  at  Cook's  Bay.  Besides 
the  Christian  party — church  members  and  adherents — 
there  were  present  many  of  the  heathen  and  semi- 
heathen,  in  all  eight  hundred  and  fifty  people.  Crowds 
came  pouring  in  every  day,  and  before  long  it  was  easy 
to  see  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement  among 
them  all.  Several  women,  among  them  Tahamen,  the 
widow  of  one  of  my  teachers,  were  to  be  baptised,  and 
their  heathen  friends  were  determined  to  prevent  it. 
"We  expected  that  there  would  be  trouble  over  this,  but 
had  no  idea  how  angry  the  heathen  were.  On  the 
very  morning  of  the  Communion  service,  Atnelo  came 
to  me,  and  told  me  that  there  was  a  deep  plot  among 
the  men  of  Nugkon-nu  to  seize  the  women  if  we  should 
attempt  to  baptise  them,  and  to  pay  us  out  for  daring 
to  interfere  with  their  wishes.  They  were  determined 
at  any  cost  to  stop  the  baptism.  Atnelo  asked  me 
what  we  should  do.  "  We  will  go  on  with  the  service," 
I  said ;  "  and  I  will  speak  to  the  heathen  before  any 
one  is  baptised."  I  felt  that  they  had  really  no  claim 
to  any  of  the  women,  especially  to  Tahamen,  whose 
husband  had  been  a  teacher  for  many  years,  and  who 
was  herself  a  sincere  Christian. 

Atnelo  and  I  had  just  finished  talking  of  the  trouble 
when  my  door  opened  and  in  stalked  Uluhoi,  an  old 
heathen,  though  friendly  to  us.  He  had  nothing  on 
but  a  black-lustre  skirt,  trimmed  with  a  number  of  frills. 
He  had  evidently  come  to  see  me  on  some  matter  of 
importance,  and  looked  as  solemn  as  a  judge.  I  burst 
out  laughing  at  the  ridiculous  figure  he  cut,  and,  before 
there  was  time  to  make  any  apology,  Uluhoi  had  drawn 
his  skirt  around  him  and  stalked  out  again  in  high 
dudgeon.  However,  we  soon  made  matters  right,  and 
Uluhoi  and  I  were  as  good  friends  as  ever.  This  same 
man,  some  years  before,  had  in  kindness  brought  hot 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    343 

taro  to  us  on  a  wet,  stormy  day,  when  we  had  touched 
for  an  hour  or  so  at  his  village  on  our  way  round  the 
island  in  our  boiat.  As  a  young  man  he  had  been  in 
Queensland  ^  with  a  friend  of  his  called  Noai.  He  used 
to  tell  with  great  gusto  how  Noai  was  a  "  very  lazy 
man,"  and  was  always  shamming  sickness  there.  He 
would  enjoy  himself  "  loafing  "  about  until  his  master 
or  overseer  appeared  in  the  distance ;  then  he  would  be 
m  his  house  like  a  shot,  and,  by  the  time  he  was  inter- 
viewed, would  have  violent  pains  in  every  part  of  his 
body.  After  some  time  of  this,  his  master  began  to 
grow  suspicious,  and  one  day  insisted  on  knowing  where 
the  pains  were.  After  finding  out  where  they  were 
not,  he  said,  "  Well !  what  is  the  matter  with  you .''  I 
think  you  gainmonr'^  "Oh,  no!"  said  Noai,  with  an 
injured  air,  "  me  no  gammon  ;  sickness  he  gone  inside  !  " 
It  was  soon  time  for  our  service,  and  the  people  began 
to  gather.  When  I  went  over  to  the  large  church, 
which  had  been  specially  built  for  the  occasion,  I  saw, 
besides  our  own  people,  the  crowds  of  angry,  determined 
heathens  who  had  seated  themselves  just  outside  the 
building  and  close  to  where  I  would  stand,  and  where 
the  candidates  for  baptism  had  already  taken  their 
places.  The  leader  of  them  all  was  Uviliau,  a  real 
mischief-maker,  and  one  who  had  often  given  trouble  to 
the  Christians.  Before  I  began,  I  spoke  to  him  and  to 
his  followers,  telling  them  that  these  women  had,  of 
their  own  free  will,  come  forward  to  receive  baptism 
and  to  profess  their  faith  in  Christ.  I  said  I  intended 
to  go  on  with  the  service,  and  they  would  have  to 
answer,  not  to  us,  but  to  God,  if  they  dared  to  interfere 
in  such  a  solemn  ordinance.  I  then  said  that  we  would 
pray.  On  this,  Netai,  who  was  sitting  near  me,  said 
in  a  rather  loud  whisper,  "You  can  shut  your  eyes, 
Misi,  but  I  am  not  going  to  shut  mine".     During  the 


344  ERROMANGA 

baptism  of  the  women  not  a  person  stirred  ;  the  would- 
be  murderers  (for  murder  was  their  intention  if  they 
were  thwarted)  sat  staring  at  us  all,  seeming  afraid  to 
make  even  the  slightest  movement.  It  was  very  touch- 
ing to  see  these  women,  who  were  braving  so  much, 
standing  up  in  the  face  of  their  enemies  to  confess  their 
faith  in  Christ,  and  we  felt  that  in  all  this  trouble  God 
was  very  near  to  them  and  to  us.  The  heathen  left 
Cook's  Bay  very  quietly,  and  seemed,  for  the  time  at 
least,  thoroughly  subdued. 

Tahamen  lived  on  at  Cook's  Bay  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  1890,  Mrs.  Robertson  sent  word  that  she 
wanted  her  to  come  and  nurse  our  baby,  Lilian ;  and 
Tahamen  at  once  came  across  the  hills  to  Dillon's 
Bay.  What  a  devoted  nurse  she  was !  As  Mrs.  Robert- 
son was  not  strong  enough  to  have  the  child  constantly 
with  her,  Lilian,  with  her  two  nurses,  Notong  and  Taha- 
men, had  a  room  near,  and  was  tended  night  and  day, 
turn  about,  by  these  two  faithful  women.  When  the 
child  was  about  two  years  old  and  was  about  to  go  with 
her  mother  to  Sydney,  she  showed  very  plainly  her 
fondness  for  her  native  nurses,  clinging  to  them  and 
crying  lustily  when  they  had  to  say  good-bye  on  the 
steamer.  Notong,  who  was  also  feeling  it  keenly,  kissed 
her  over  and  over  again,  but  Tahamen  just  gave  the 
child  one  caress,  and  then,  with  her  lips  tightly  closed 
and  her  eyes  streaming  with  tears,  turned,  and  without 
a  word  to  any  on^  else,  stepped  down  into  the  boat. 
When  dear  Ohai  died,  Tahamen  took  her  place  as  cook. 
Some  years  ago  Mrs.  Robertson  thought  she  was  not 
strong  enough  for  that,  and  asked  her  just  to  stay  on 
and  help  her  in  looking  after  and  traming  the  younger 
girls.  She  had  her  own  house  quite  near  ours,  where 
the  girls  slept  with  her.  Every  day,  when  she  was  well, 
the  faithful  woman  was  at  work,  and,  like  Ohai,  she 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    345 

never  idled.  It  was  a  comfort  to  have  one  so  reliable 
and  trustworthy  near  us.  Tahamen  was  a  tall,  straight, 
fine-looking  woman,  with  clear-cut  features,  and  had 
a  most  loving  heart,  though  she  often  "  bottled  "  up  her 
feelings  and  rarely  showed  a  sign  of  emotion.  At  the 
time  of  her  death  we  were  away.  She  had  been  left  in 
charge  of  the  Mission  premises,  and  now  sent  for  Lalim 
Nimpu  and  said  to  her :  "  Lalim,  I  am  dying.  Misi's 
house  was  left  in  my  care ;  I  give  you  charge  of  it  now, 
and  you  must  take  care  of  it  till  they  come.  Give  them 
all  my  love — I  never  '  broke  their  word '  ^° — and  tell 
them  that  I  looked  faithfully  after  everything  as  long  as 
I  could."  The  women  say  that  she  suffered  a  great  deal, 
but  was  anxious  to  give  no  trouble  to  those  who  were 
looking  after  her.  We  miss  her  very  much  ;  she  was  so 
loving  and  true,  and  through  all  the  years  since  she  was 
admitted  a  Church  member  at  Cook's  Bay  she  lived 
such  a  sincere  and  consistent  Christian  life. 

Our  next  Communion  was  held  at  Dillon's  Bay  in 
July,  1882.  It  was  not  such  a  large  gathering  as  that 
of  Cook's  Bay,  there  being  just  six  hundred  and  twelve 
people  present,  but  I  think  we  never  had  a  more  touching 
or  sacred  service  on  Erromanga,  We  were  intending 
to  leave  very  shortly  for  our  trip  to  Canada,  and  a  great 
number  of  people  had  been  attending  my  classes  and 
had  now  come  forward  for  baptism.  Among  the  two 
hundred  and  ten  church  members,  one  hundred  and  ten 
were  admitted  that  day,  and  two  of  these  were  "  Daniel " 
Usuo  and  Numpunari  Williams,  sons  of  Auwi-auwi,  the 
murderer  of  John  Williams,  and  Lilea,  their  young  half- 
brother.  Yomot  and  Atnelo  were  ordained  as  "  elders  ". 
We  had  intended  meeting  in  the  Martyrs'  Memorial 
Church,  but  found  that  it  would  be  small — even  for  the 
church  members — and  it  would  have  been  a  great  dis- 
appointment to  the  many  other  Christians  and  even  the 


346  ERROMANGA 

half-heathen  not  to  be  present  at  the  service.  So  we 
held  our  Communion  in  the  open  air,  on  the  grass  near 
our  own  house.  The  women,  in  their  simple,  bright- 
coloured  prints,  and  pretty  handkerchiefs  on  their  heads, 
were  seated  in  one  long  line,  and  the  men,  also  well  and 
neatly  clad,  in  another.  The  weather  was  perfect.  It 
was  a  deeply  interesting  service  to  us  all,  and  1  thought 
I  had  never  seen  a  more  touching  sight.  As  the  emblems 
of  Christ's  broken  body  and  shed  blood  were  passed 
down  the  rows  of  dusky  worshippers — many  of  whom 
had  once  been  determined  enemies  of  the  Gospel,  some 
of  them  even  canibals — we  lifted  up  our  hearts  in  grati- 
tude to  God,  who  had  so  blessed  us  in  His  work,  and 
had  brought  such  a  glad  day  to  dark  Erromanga. 

That  winter  we  had  an  epidemic  of  influenza,  and  I 
took  it  badly  myself.  It  was  not  long  till  H.M.S. 
Espiegle  came  to  anchor  in  our  bay,  and  when  Captain 
(now  Rear-Admiral)  Bridge  came  on  shore  and  saw  my 
plight,  he  very  kindly  sent  off  at  once  asking  the  doctor 
to  come  and  see  me.  The  influenza  had  turned  to  slight 
congestion  of  the  lungs,  but,  under  God's  blessing  and 
by  Dr.  Dunlop's  skill  and  attention,  I  soon  became  well. 
We  could  not  feel  grateful  enough  to  both  the  captain 
and  himself,  as  well  as  to  the  other  officers,  for  their 
many  kindnesses.  The  Espiegle's  visit  was  a  delightful 
one.  On  the  Sunday  evening  that  she  was  at  anchor, 
Lieut.  Lowry  brought  the  men  on  shore,  and  had  a  short 
service  and  singing  with  them  in  our  sitting-room.  Al- 
though I  was  not  in  the  room,  my  own  was  near  it,  and 
with  the  doors  ajar  I  could  hear — and  with  much  enjoy- 
ment— the  strong  musical  voices  singing  one  after  an- 
other of  the  old  familiar  hymns. 

From  the  time  of  our  settlement,  and  soon  after  the 
visit  of  Captain  Moresby  in  the  Basilisk,  we  have  had 
a  large  number  of  H.M.'s  ships  here,  and,  without  an 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    347 

exception,  these  visits  have  been  very  pleasant.  Many 
of  the  officers  and  men  have  been  deeply  interested  in 
our  work.  The  natives  make  a  great  fuss  v^hen  a  man- 
of-war  is  sighted,  and  the  "  Sail-oh  "-ing  and  cheering 
are  tremendous.  They  look  upon  them  as  of  nearly 
as  great  importance  as  the  Dayspring ;  the  little  white 
vessel  had  always  the  first  place.  So  many  of  the 
captains  of  H.M.'s  ships  have  invited  them  to  go  off  and 
see  over  the  ships  that  the  people  are  always  greatly 
interested  in  everything.  And  the  perfect  order  and 
cleanliness  is  in  itself  a  valuable  object-lesson.  These 
ships  leave  behind  them  no  trail  of  evil,  nor  heart- 
burnings, on  shore,  and  always  get  a  warm  welcome  from 
our  people  and  ourselves. 

Soon  after  the  Espiegle  left  us,  we  took  a  trip  in  the 
Dayspring  as  far  north  as  Epi,  and  were  present  at 
the  settlement  of  the  Rev.  R.  M.  and  Mrs.  Eraser,  of  the 
Tasmanian  Church,  who  had  just  arrived  from  Scot- 
land. In  November,  the  Dayspring  again  came  from 
Sydney,  and  on  board  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie, 
returning  from  their  visit  to  Canada.  They  had  had  a 
warm  welcome  there,  and  were  now  eager  to  begin 
work  again.  Meanwhile  the  Rev.  Wm.  and  Mrs.  Gray, 
from  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  South  Australia,  had 
been  settled  at  Weasisi,  Tanna.  A  few  months  after 
this,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gurm,  from  the  Free  Church  of  Scot- 
land, arrived,  and  took  up  work  on  Futuna,  but  as  by 
that  time  we  were  on  our  way  home  we  did  not  meet 
them  until  our  return  in  1884. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  the  Dayspring  returned  from 
the  north.  Neither  Mrs.  Robertson  nor  I  can  forget 
the  love  that  was  shown  to  us  by  our  people  when  we 
had  to  say  good-bye,  and  I  think  we  had  no  idea  till 
then  how  much  we  loved  them.     About  five  hundred 


348  ERROMANGA 

people  had  been  gathering  in  for  days  before,  from  all 
parts  of  the  island.  That  morning  we  had  a  short 
farewell  service  and  also  a  marriage — that  of  Sempent 
and  Numpunivi — in  the  church.  I  asked  the  people 
not  to  come  off  to  the  ship,  but  to  say  good-bye  to  us 
on  the  shore.  Atnelo  was  left  in  charge  of  the  station, 
while  our  dear,  faithful,  old  Ohai  was  to  look  after  our 
house  during  our  absence.  She  was  the  nurse  of  our 
daughter  Annie,  and  felt  keenly  parting  with  her  and 
her  mother.  When  Mrs.  Robertson  went  to  say  good-bye 
to  her  neither  of  them  could  speak  a  word,  and  Mrs. 
Robertson  came  to  me  and  said,  "  Do  go  and  speak  to 
our  poor  Ohai ;  I  can't ;  and  she  is  feeling  it  all  so 
much".  I  went  and  asked  her  for  a  drink  of  water 
(though  I  no  more  wanted  to  drink  it  than  to  fly),  and 
she  got  it  for  me  at  once,  handing  it  to  me  without  a 
word.  I  could  see  her  mouth  twitching  as  she  tried  to 
keep  back  the  tears.  I  am  afraid  my  going  to  talk 
to  her  did  not  do  much  good  after  all,  but  she  knew 
what  we,  too,  were  feeling,  and  that  we  shared  her 
grief.  The  natives  were  ranged  in  two  long  rows  from 
our  house  to  the  shore,  and  we  walked  down  between 
them,  shaking  hands  with  every  one.  After  all  the 
good  resolutions,  when  it  came  to  the  last  there  was  a 
general  rush  to  the  shore,  and  even  there  the  women 
clung  to  and  cried  over  Mrs.  Robertson  and  the  children. 
Captain  and  Mrs.  Braithwaite  were  both  with  us,  and 
Mrs.  Braithwaite  said,  "  I  will  never  believe  after  this 
that  natives  have  no  affection ".  I  said :  "  Captain, 
can't  you  do  anything  to  show  our  gratitude  ?  "  "  That 
will  be  all  right,"  was  his  hearty  answer ;  and  almost 
at  once,  at  a  sig^  from  the  boat,  the  little  Day- 
spring  s  guns  boomed  out  a  salute.  Mrs.  Robertson  had 
only  just  seated  herself  in  the  boat,  when  a  woman 
came  running  down  to  it  and  asked  her  for  "  thread 


THE  MARTYRS'  MEMORIAL  CHURCH    349 

and  needles  ".  Of  course,  she  could  have  got  these 
days  before,  but  it  never  struck  her  to  mention  it  until 
then.  She  had  scarcely  gone  away  before  a  man  came 
to  me  for  "  medicine  ".  I  told  him  he  could  not  get  it  now, 
and,  "  Anyway,"  I  said,  "you  are  not  sick  ".  "  Ahy  but  I 
may  be  be/ore  you  come  back  again"  he  said.  The  general 
laugh  that  followed  this  brightened  us  all  up. 

We  went  off  in  the  ship's  boat,  but  had  not  gone 
far  before  we  saw  the  Yaros,  '  the  Morning  Star,'  being 
pushed  off  from  the  shore,  and  the  men  scrambling 
into  her.  When  we  reached  the  vessel,  we  went  right 
downstairs,  and  I  went  into  my  cabin,  almost  dreading 
to  meet  the  men  again.  Soon  the  door  was  pushed 
open,  and  in  a  moment  I  was  in  Yomot's  burly  arms. 
Dear  Yomot,  what  a  friend  he  had  been !  Lilea,  Usuo's 
half-brother,  a  bright,  affectionate  young  fellow,  was 
right  behind  him,  and  several  more,  eager  to  say  good- 
bye once  more.  My  wife  and  I  felt  leaving  them  very 
much,  and  were  touched  by  their  loving  regard  for  us. 
It  was  almost  a  relief  when  the  Day  spring  had  to  weigh 
anchor,  and  the  men  got  down  again  into  the  boat. 
"  Why !  I  feel  like  crying  myself,"  said  the  captain. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

YOMOT  AND  NOSOREKI. 

I  HAVE  long  been  wishing  to  write  short  sketches  of 
some  of  our  Erromangans  who  have  been  specially 
prominent  in  forwarding  the  work  of  Christ  on  their 
own  island.  One  of  the  reasons  that  have  hitherto 
prevented  me  from  doing  so  was  my  want  of  confidence 
in  their  stability  and  strength  of  character — a  kind  of 
underlying  fear  lest,  after  I  had  told  how  able  and 
helpful  these  men  and  women  had  been  in  the  past,  they 
should  at  last  become  unsatisfactory  and  fall  away  from 
their  former  exemplary  life,  proving,  perhaps  a  hindrance 
instead  of  a  help  to  our  cause.  I  am  sure  that  all 
missionaries  labouring  among  native  races  must  feel 
this  uncertainty  about  even  the  very  best  of  their 
converts. 

But,  notwithstanding  much  that  is  disappointing  in 
many  of  our  Christian  natives,  I  do  think  we  should  not 
fail  to  tell  of  their  many  good  qualities  and  of  the  de- 
voted lives  that  some  of  these  men  and  women  have 
lived  for  Christ.  To  withhold  this  would  be  unfair 
both  to  the  natives  themselves  and  to  the  Churches 
which  support  our  Missions.  For  these  reasons,  and  the 
loss  to  Erromanga  by  the  recent  death  of  Yomot,  in 
September,  1899,  I  feel  that  I  should  say  something 
about  this  remarkable  man — a  character,  I  think,  almost 
unique  in  the  New  Hebrides. 

Yomot  must  have  been  born  about  the  year  1835, 
(350) 


YOMOT  AND  NOSORKKI  351 

and  would  therefore  be  about  sixty-four  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  born  at  a  village 
called  Unova  on  the  north-east  of  Erromanga,  and 
about  three  miles  from  Potnuma,  where  Mr.  James 
Gordon  laboured  for  the  five  years  immediately  pre- 
ceding his  martyrdom.  Yomot  as  a  boy  and  young 
man  seems  to  have  been  superior  in  strength  and  pluck 
to  the  youths  of  his  own  age  on  the  island.  In  mere 
boyhood,  he  became  not  only  a  very  strong  and  rapid 
swimmer  but  an  expert  in  throwing  the  spear  and  in 
archery.  He  was  fond  of  fishing  and  shooting,  which 
fondness  increased  with  his  years,  so  that  when  I  first 
knew  him  on  Aneityum,  in  1867,  these  sports  had 
become  almost  a  passion  with  him.  As  new  and  more 
modern  guns  were  introduced,  Yomot  made  every  effort 
to  possess  one,  and  to  the  last  I  think  he  loved  a  first- 
rate  rifle  next  to  a  copy  of  the  complete  Bible  in  Aneit- 
yumese  and  portions  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  in 
Erromangan.  His  house  was  a  kind  of  "  Tower  of  Lon- 
don," for  he  kept  all  his  firearms,  from  an  old  lumbering 
blunderbuss  up  to  the  modern  expensive  rifle,  perfectly 
clean  and  in  order.  No  one  ever  saw  Yomot,  however 
tired  he  might  be,  put  aside  his  gun  after  the  hunt  till 
he  had  removed  the  bullet  or  cartridge  and  thoroughly 
cleaned  his  gun.  When  I  first  knew  him  and  right 
on  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  far  and  away  the 
very  best  shot  on  Erromanga,  and  in  the  seventies  and 
eighties,  when  his  sight  was  quick,  he  would  bring  down 
brace  for  brace  of  pigeons  with  the  best  shot  in  any 
of  H.M.'s  ships  that  visited  the  island.  One  day  only  a 
few  years  ago,  he  shot  a  black  duck  for  me  with  his  rifle. 
Thinking  that  it  was  only  a  happy  chance  shot,  I  chal- 
lenged him  to  put  another  bullet  in  his  rifle  and  try 
again.  He  did  so,  took  deliberate  aim,  and  duck  No. 
2  dropped  in  the  water.     When   he  picked  it  up,  we 


352  ERROMANGA 

found  that  the  bullet  had  cut  through  the  neck,  leaving 
just  the  skin  of  the  upper  side  attached  to  the  head! 

But  chasing  the  wild  boar  with  his  dogs  in  the  forests 
of  his  own  island  was  Yomot's  favourite  sport,  and  just 
because  it  was  more  risky  and  exciting.  He  would  be 
slowly  walking  in  front  of  or  behind  me,  telling  me  some- 
thing of  the  past — for  he  always  talked  on  the  road, 
up  hill  and  down  dale — when  suddenly  the  dogs  would 
fly  through  the  bush  and  begin  barking.  Without  a 
word,  Yomot  would  throw  down  his  "  swag,"  ^  and  bound 
away  into  the  bush  to  follow  up  the  scent  of  the  dogs. 
Presently  the  barking  would  increase,  accompanied  by 
wild  snorting  from  the  boar,  which,  by  this  time,  had 
turned  and  faced  the  dogs.  Every  now  and  then  the 
boar  would  charge  at  them,  and  woe  to  the  poor  dog 
that  came  in  his  way.  But,  while  literally  tearing  that 
unfortunate  dog,  another  dog  would  seize  him  by  the 
hind-quarter  or  ear,  and  then  for  a  few  minutes  the 
discordant  yelping  of  the  dogs  and  squalling  of  their 
victim  would  be  simply  deafening.  Yomot,  wild  with 
excitement,  would  by  this  time  be  within  shot,  and,  hav- 
ing called  off  his  dogs,  would  speedily  despatch  the 
animal,  providing  himself  and  his  party  with  fresh  pork 
for  the  next  two  days.  Often  this  has  happened  in  our 
journeys  from  village  to  village,  and  now  that  Yomot 
is  gone  I  always  think  of  him  in  connection  with  these 
wildboar  hunts.  And,  although  such  a  hunt  still  often 
happens,  it  is  of  Yomot's  share  in  them  in  the  past  that 
I  speak. 

They  cannot  wait  till  I  dress  the  meat ;  so  the  men 
divide  it  into  quarters,  run  a  pointed  stick  through  each 
piece,  and,  with  all  the  guns  and  bundles  they  are  carry- 
ing already,  they  tramp  along  with  these  huge  junks  cf 
fresh  pork.  And  so,  all  tired  and  hungry,  we  reach  a 
village  just  at  dusk.       Should  there  be  a  teacher  in 


YOMOT  AND  NOSOREKI  353 

charge,  he  has  everything  ready  for  our  comfort,  and, 
if  he  has  been  told  of  our  purposed  visit  in  time,  there  is 
always  a  small  hut  built  specially  for  my  use.  This  will 
olten  have  two  rooms — one  for  a  dining-room,  the  other 
lor  sleeping — and  both  will  be  beautifully  neat,  and  as 
comfortable  as  the  teacher  has  been  able  to  make  them. 
Upon  a  reed  or  bamboo  table  are  a  dozen  or  more 
drmkmg  cocoanuts,  and,  if  in  season,  oranges  and  pine- 
apples, while  in  a  corner  of  the  hut  are  the  long,  newly 
cut  bamboo  bottles  filled  with  cold,  fresh  water  from 
one  of  the  mountam  sprmgs.  Soon  several  native 
puddmgs,  of  all  kinds  and  sizes,  are  brought  in,  all  piping 
hot  and  excellent  to  taste. 

Yomot  and  all  his  crowd  have  fared  as  well  in  the 
big  siman-io  or  feasting  house  of  the  village.  But  no 
sooner  have  they  finished  their  huge  meal  than  they 
begin  to  prepare  for  the  oven  the  flesh  of  the  hog 
that  has  been  shot  that  day.  Amid  laughing,  shouting 
and  giving  of  orders  (which  every  one  gives  and  no  one 
obeys),  the  food  is  at  last  ready  for  cooking,  and  will 
be  left  to  steam  slowly  in  the  ground-pit  until  morning. 
But,  during  all  these  big  preparations,  tit-bits  of  the 
pork,  and  also  yams  and  taro^  are  roasted  and  eaten, 
and  after  that  follows  the  wholesale  chewing,  the  half- 
eating,  half-drinking,  of  dozens  of  sticks  of  sugar-cane. 
After  a  little  time  there  is  perfect  quiet,  and  then  there 
comes  floating  across  the  village  square  the  plaintive 
strains  of  some  familiar  old  psalm-tune.  The  hymn 
sung,  evening  prayer  is  offered  up  by  Yomot,  or,  perhaps, 
by  some  other  teacher,  and  presently  all  are  fast  asleep. 
And  can't  they  sleep!  To  try  to  wake  them  is  almost 
to  try  to  wake  the  dead! 

Yomot  provided  well  for  himself  and  his  good  wife 
and  for  any  of  their  young  nieces  or  nephews  who  might 
be  living  with   them  from   time   to   time,   and  no  one 


354  ERROMANGA 

ever  saw  Yomot  idling.  Though  far  from  being  a 
greedy  man,  he  hked  good  substantial  food,  well  made 
and  well  cooked.  And  what  savoury  dishes  he  could 
prepare !  His  wife,  Navusia,  was  a  true  helpmeet  to 
him,  and  set  a  noble  example  to  the  younger  women. 
She  was  our  boy  Gordon's  nurse,  and  a  great  deal  with 
us  all,  but  was  too  old  to  pick  up  much  knowledge  of 
housework  or  cooking,  though  she  made  a  wonderful 
attempt  now  and  again.  When  we  went  to  Port  Nari- 
ven,  the  house  was  always  spotlessly  clean  ;  Navusia  saw 
to  that,  and  the  dear,  old  body  was  there  smiling  her 
welcome,  and  fussing  round  to  get  us  anything  we 
wanted.  Yomot  would  make  us  fan,  '  very  good,'  soup, 
and  a  number  of  dainties,  and,  of  course,  the  table  was 
always  set,  for  Navusia  put  every  dish  m  the  house  on 
it.  She  had  a  marvellous  way  of  arranging  things,  and 
was  always  charmed  with  it  and  her  own  forethought 
She  simply  could  not  do  enough  for  us  Ask  Navusia 
for  mtything,  and  away  she  would  trot  and  have  it 
brought  at  once.  Her  sweet  simplicity  and  trueness 
made  every  one  love  her.  She  lived  a  sincere  life  for 
Christ,  and  did  her  best  to  bring  others  to  know  Him. 
She  died  shortly  before  her  husband  at  a  ripe  old  age, 
and  her  memory  will  always  be  very  dear  to  us. 

But  it  was  as  a  strong  and  earnest  Christian  man,  an 
able  and  fearless  helper  of  the  Erromangan  Mission, 
that  Yomot  distinguished  himself  above  all  his  country- 
men, though  not  previous  to  our  settlement  in  1872, 
for  it  was  So.so  and  his  brotlier-in-law,  Netai,  who  were 
Mr.  James  Gordon's  grand  helpers.  It  was  from  the 
time  that  he  joined  the  Church,  in  1873,  until  about 
twenty  years  later,  when  his  health  began  to  fail  very 
much,  that  Yomot — as  a  Christian  man  of  strong 
common-sense,  well  read  in  his  Bible,  well  grounded  in 
the  faith,  fearless  in  advocating  every  good  cause,  and 


YOMOT  AND  NOSOREKI  355 

as  fearless  in  exposing  and  denouncing  everything  that 
was  evil — stood  head  and  shoulders  above  his  fellow- 
islanders. 

As  a  solid,  instructive  preacher  of  the  Gospel  he  could 
hold  his  own  with  many  in  civilised  lands.  He  brought 
"  beaten  oil "  to  the  sanctuary,  carefully  preparing  all 
his  addresses.  He  did  not  interest  young  people  and 
children  so  well  as  many  of  the  other  teachers,  whose 
speeches  were  simpler  and  more  pictorial.  But  those 
who  were  older,  and  especially  those  who  took  the 
trouble  to  follow  him,  profited  greatly  by  Yomot's 
teaching.  For  my  own  part  I  never  failed  to  be  present 
if  Yomot  was  to  speak.  His  words  were  so  clear  and 
accurate  and  so  forcible  that  one  was  sure  to  feel 
strengthened  by  them.  He  made  no  wild,  rambling 
talks,  never  mixed  up  things  in  the  absurd  manner  some 
natives  do,  and  above  all  he  kept  clear  of  those  ruts 
that  so  many  of  our  New  Hebridean  teachers  get  into 
and  never  seem  to  get  away  from.  They  have  the 
same  introduction,  the  same  bit  of  Church  history,  the 
same  confession  of  their  own  sins  and  shortcomings, 
and,  of  course,  the  same  sermon  always,  no  matter  what 
the  text  may  be. 

Yomot's  knowledge  of  Aneityumese  gave  him  a  great 
advantage  over  the  other  Erromagans ;  for,  up  to  the 
present  time  the  whole  Bible  has  not  been  translated 
into  any  language  of  the  New  Hebrides  except  that  of 
Aneityum  Indeed  Yomot  was  a  linguist  in  the  purely 
island  dialects,  for  he  knew  the  enyau  as  well  as  the 
sorug  of  Erromanga,  those  of  Aneityum  and  Nguna, 
and  a  little  of  the  Tannese  as  spoken  at  Port  Resolution. 
He  also  understood  and  spoke  fairly  well  colloquial 
English.  He  read  with  great  ease  any  books  printed  in 
Erromangan,  Aneityumese  or  Ngunese,  and  could  read 
slowly  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  in  English. 


356  ERROMANGA 

But  it  was  not  so  much  by  means  of  his  knowledge 
of  languages  or  his  power  as  a  clear  and  forcible 
preacher  as  by  his  own  good  influence  and  sterling 
Christian  character  that  Yomot  did  such  yeoman  service 
in  the  first  ten  or  fifteen  years  of  our  labours  on  Erro- 
manga.  He  was  a  born  leader  and  ruler.  He  could  not 
help  it  if  he  would,  and  he  would  not  if  he  could.  Dr. 
Gunn,  of  Futuna,  spoke  of  him  once  as  "  an  iron  man  ". 
He  had  lived  and  worked  with  white  men,  good  and  bad, 
knew  them  thoroughly,  and  they  all  respected  him  for 
his  straightforward,  manly  integrity  and  independence 
They  knew  he  could  not  be  twisted  about  their  fingers, 
and  thought  all  the  more  of  him  on  that  account.  He 
was  modest  without  being  cringing,  and  was  never 
ashamed  of  his  faith. 

I  have  spoken  of  Yomot  as  an  athlete  from  his  youth 
up  until  he  was  nearly  sixty  years  of  age.  When  I  first 
saw  him,  I  was  struck  with  his  splendid  physique,  every 
muscle  seemed  so  firm  and  well-developed,  and  moved 
with  every  movement  of  his  body.  With  his  rifle  over 
his  shoulder,  his  strong,  decided  step  of  vigorous  man- 
hood, his  beautiful  dark  eyes,  now  flashing  as  he  de- 
scribed some  deed  of  daring  or  denounced  some  cowardly 
act,  now  softening  as  he  spoke  of  the  sufferings  and 
persecution  of  the  early  converts  and  missionaries  of 
Erromanga,  one  could  not  help  admiring  him.  A  daring, 
cool  leader  in  any  contest,  a  champion  of  the  truth,  an 
able  friend  of  the  weak  and  oppressed,  whether  white  or 
black,  and  the  warm  friend  of  all  missionaries,  Yomot 
was  superior  to  any  Erromangan  I  have  ever  known. 
That  which  will  ever  keep  our  love  warm  for  Yomot  is 
the  memory  of  the  way  he  stood  by  us  in  the  "ten  years' 
conflict''  through  which  we  passed  on  this  island,  be- 
ginning with  our  settlement  in  1872.  So  solicitous  was 
he  for  our  safety  that  he  never  left  the  Mission  premises 


YOMOT  AND  NOSOREKI  357 

even  to  go  as  far  as  his  plantation,  unless  he  knew  that 
some  other  strong  man  would  stay  near  us. 

And  it  was  always  Netai  and  Yomot  and  other  "  east 
side  "  men  who  stood  by  us  in  those  days,  and  not  the 
chief  and  people  of  Dillon's  Bay,  among  whom  we  were 
living.  These  were  always  good  friends,  but  had  not 
the  staunch  love  and  faithfulness  of  the  eastern  people. 
Had  Naling,  the  chief  of  Dillon's  Bay,  who  was  also  a 
church  member,  been  a  man  of  any  force  of  character, 
his  influence  among  his  people  would  have  prevented 
many  a  trouble  and  heart-sore.  But,  although  a  bright, 
pleasant  and  intelligent  young  man,  he  was  easily  led, 
and  the  old,  dark-hearted  fellows  around  him  could  often 
turn  him  about  whichever  way  they  wanted  He  was 
always  gentle  and  respectful  when  I  spoke  to  him,  and 
would  leave  me  with  the  full  intention  of  doing  well  ; 
but  his  old  advisers  and  would-be  friends  were  too  much 
for  him,  and  so  he  often  disappointed  us  by  following 
their  bad  suggestions.  Was  Yomot  ever  influenced  by 
these  old  rascals.^  Never!  They  tried  him  in  vain  ;  he 
had  "  backbone,"  and  was  very  different  from  poor 
Naling.  Yomot,  however,  was  not  free  from  faults,  and 
as  he  grew  older  he  did  not  improve.  Always  accus- 
tomed to  lead  and  to  have  the  first  place  among  the 
elders  and  teachers,  he  did  not  take  kindly  to  the  changes 
that  time  was  making  in  himself  and  them.  Many  of 
the  younger  men  were  by  this  time  better  teachers  than 
he  was,  and,  being  young  and  strong,  could  do  more 
work.  Whether  he  imagined  he  was  being  "  shelved  ' 
or  not,  I  cannot  say,  but  he  did  not,  at  any  rate,  grow 
old  gracefully  ;  and  often  his  strange,  abrupt  manner 
made  a  heavy  demand  upon  our  patience.  But  in  spite 
of  that,  my  wife  and  1  could  never  forget  dear,  old 
Yomot  for  what  he  had  been  to  ourselves  and  our  little 
children  during  our  dark  days  on  Erromanga.     With  all 


358  ERROMANGA 

his  faults  he  was,  perhaps,  our  truest  friend  on  the  island, 
and  often  showed  his  love  in  many  ways. 

About  ten  years  ago  Yomot's  splendid  teeth  began  to 
decay,  and  I  believe  his  failing  health  had  much  to  do 
with  this.  He  suffered  so  much,  that,  as  we  were  going 
to  Sydney,  in  1895,  we  decided  to  take  him  with  us 
and  get  him  a  complete  set  of  artificial  teeth.  This  was 
done,  and  the  dentist,  being  a  personal  friend  and  a 
good  friend  of  the  Mission,  very  generously  made  a 
considerable  reduction  from  the  usual  charge.  Yomot's 
new  teeth  improved  his  appearance  very  much,  his  health 
became  better,  and  he  returned  home  like  a  new  man. 
We  hoped  that  many  years  of  usefulness  were  yet  before 
him.  Soon  after  his  return,  we  relieved  him  of  the 
charge  of  the  school  at  Port  Nariven,  where  he  had  been 
for  many  years,  and  only  asked  him  to  help  in  the 
Sabbath  services  and  the  weekly  prayer-meeting.  His 
work  would  be  to  visit  the  teachers  and  people  of 
the  different  villages  on  the  east  and  north-east  coast 
as  often  as  he  could,  and  to  encourage  and  help  them 
with  his  advice  in  their  work.  Both  Yomot  and  his  wife 
were  pleased  with  this  plan  ;  for  they  knew  that,  in  sug- 
gesting it,  we  were  studying  their  comfort  in  their  failing 
years.  I  remember  what  a  delightful  talk  I  had  with 
them  both  at  their  own  house  the  morning  I  first  spoke 
of  it  to  them,  and  how  pleased  Mrs.  Robertson  was  when 
I  told  her  of  their  willingness.  We  had  been  a  little 
anxious  about  it,  knowing  how  Yomot  loved  to  rule, 
and  feared  that  he  might  imagine  he  was  being  put 
aside  now  that  he  was  growing  old.  But  Yomot  was  a 
good  and  sensible  man,  and  at  once  fell  in  with  the 
new  plan.  He  was  no  ordinary  man,  and  we  treated 
him  accordingly.  Indeed,  I  have  often  been  asked  if 
Yomot  was  really  an  Erromangan.  Many  thought  he 
must  be  a  native  of  the  Eastern  islands,  for  he  seemed 


YOMOT  AND  NOSOREKI  359 

so  much  superior  to  the  other  Erromangans.  Yomot 
under  the  new  arrangement  did  the  best  of  work,  and, 
whenever  he  was  able,  visited  regularly  the  surrounding 
districts.  But  his  health  was  failing  very  much,  and  in 
September,  1899,  he  caught  a  severe  cold  which  turned 
to  influenza.  He  had  no  strength  to  rally  from  it,  and 
on  the  twentieth  of  that  month,  after  forty-tivo  years' 
devoted  service  in  this  Mission,  Yomot  passed  away  from 
this  world  and  entered  the  Eternal  City.  He  was  a 
"  shock  of  wheat  fully  ripe,"  and,  we  doubt  not,  received 
from  the  Saviour,  whom  he  had  loved  and  served 
throughout  his  long  life,  the  welcome,  "  Well  done,  good 
and  faithful  servant,  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  ". 

Nosoreki,  who  succeeded  Yomot  at  Port  Nariven,  had 
gone  as  a  young  man  to  Fiji,^  where  he  had  been  con- 
verted by  a  native  pastor  of  the  Wesleyan  Mission. 
As  soon  as  he  returned  to  Erromanga,  he  built  a  school- 
house  in  his  own  village,  and  persuaded  Norowo,  the 
high  chief  of  Numpu-norowo,  to  receive  a  teacher. 
Through  Nosoreki's  influence,  we  were  at  last  able  to 
settle  one  there,  and  had  the  delight  of  seeing  the  old 
chief  become  a  true  Christian.  This  was  shortly  before 
we  left  for  Canada.  When  I  visited  him  then  in  his 
large  siiitan-lo,  I  saw  that  there  was  to  be  quite  a  cere- 
mony. In  the  presence  of  two  hundred  of  his  people, 
the  old  chief  laid  down  on  the  ground  before  me,  one 
by  one,  all  his  idols  or  sacred  stones,  including  the  one 
he  treasured  most — a  beautiful  navilah  called  Nanepin- 
taru,  which  is  a  woman's  name.  One  of  these  stones 
had  a  very  small  numpelat  or  '  skirt '  tied  to  it ;  another, 
again,  had  a  charm  in  the  shape  of  a  pierced  shell.  The 
whole  affair  was  such  a  surprise  to  me,  a  delightful  one, 
and  the  dear,  old  man  amused  us  by  his  perfect  dehght 
in  his  own  doings.     And  not  only  that,  but  he  did  not 


360  ERROMANGA 

forget  to  try  to  lead  his  people  and  friends  to  his  new 
Friend,  and  every  now  and  again,  while  walking  up  and 
down  between  his  relics,  telling  me  the  names  and  his- 
tories of  one  after  another  of  them,  he  would  stop, 
and,  turning  to  those  around  us,  plead  with  them  to 
"  take  the  word "  ^  which  was  then  doing  so  much  for 
many  on  Erromanga.  Norowo  remained  true  to  his 
testimony,  and  soon  after  this  gave  further  proof  of  his 
change  of  heart  by  giving  up  all  his  wives  but  one. 
Before  long,  we  had  Niau,  Nosoreki,  and  Naling  settled 
in  the  large  district  of  Numpu-norowo. 

For  years  Nosoreki  had  been  betrothed  to  Wampu. 
the  daughter  of  a  Cook's  Bay  chief.  When  he  returned 
from  Fiji,  Wampu  was  still  quite  young  and  was  being 
trained  by  Mrs.  Robertson  at  Dillon's  Bay.  For  some 
reason  or  other,  she  seemed  to  have  a  great  dislike  to 
poor  Nosoreki,  and,  when  the  marriage  was  suggested, 
turned  up  her  nose  very  decidedly.  She  was  a  dear 
girl  and  a  good  worker,  and,  as  she  had  been  with  my 
wife  from  the  time  she  was  a  child,  we  had  grown  very 
fond  of  her.  But  we  did  not  sympathise  with  her  at 
all  in  this  dislike  ;  for  Nosoreki  was  such  a  fine  young 
fellow,  and  we  knew  that  he  would  make  her  a  good 
husband.  It  would  have  been  very  different  if  he  had 
been  an  old  man,  but  their  ages  were  very  suitable. 
However,  "  Miss  "  Wampu  took  her  time,  and  then  all 
of  a  sudden  veered  round  and  found  that  she  was  very 
fond  of  Nosoreki.  I  married  them  before  she  had  time 
to  change  her  mind  again,  and  she  made  Nosoreki  simply 
an  excellent  wife.  They  were  an  exceptional  couple  in 
every  way;  both  well  educated  and  bright,  and  they 
proved  good  teachers.  Like  Noye  and  his  wife,  and 
Ukina  and  his  wife,  who  are  now  helping  the  Rev.  F. 
G.  Bowie  on  Santo,  Nosoreki  and  Wampu  trained  their 
people  well.      Every  year  they  brought  us  young  men 


YOMOT  AND  NOSOREKI  361 

and  women  to  attend  the  Candidates'  Class,  and  these 
had  already  been  well  taught  by  themselves.  Wampu 
had  her  own  Bible  Class,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  have 
her  pupils  passed  on  to  us.  The  girls  that  she  taught 
always  seemed  bright  and  capable,  and  several  of  them 
have  from  time  to  time  helped  Mrs.  Robertson  in  the 
house  at  Dillon's  Bay. 

Nosoreki  was  an  eloquent  speaker,  and  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  making  any  one  listen  to  him.  He  had  not, 
perhaps,  the  solid  matter  of  Yomot's  preaching,  but  what 
he  did  say  (and  it  was  always  good)  was  said  with  such 
marvellous  power  and  such  a  winning  manner  that  he 
just  rivetted  one's  attention.  It  was  always  a  treat  to 
listen  to  him,  but  I  had  to  be  very  careful  not  to  call 
upon  him  too  often,  for  fear  of  creating  jealousy  among 
his  fellow-teachers. 

Soon  after  Nosoreki  and  Wampu  were  settled  at  Port 
Nariven,  they  took  heavy  influenza  colds,  and,  as  neither 
of  them  had  ever  been  strong,  it  proved  too  much  for 
them.  I  was  with  them  at  the  time,  and  it  was  a  sore 
grief  when  I  realised  that  they  were  both  passing  away. 
Dear  Wampu  "  fell  asleep  "  first,  and  it  was  touching 
to  see  the  dying  husband's  love  as  he  tried  vainly  to 
crawl  over  on  his  hands  and  knees  to  where  she  lay. 
I  made  the  men  hft  the  body  to  his  side.  He  touched  it 
very  tenderly,  and  then,  turning  to  me,  said,  "  I  have  no 
strength  to  '  cry ' ;  *  tell  them  all  to  '  cry '  for  my  wife, 
for  she  has  gone  from  us  ".  But,  before  she  was  taken 
away  from  him  again,  the  poor  man  burst  into  tears. 
Before  that  day  had  closed  he,  too,  had  gone  to  that 
land  where  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears. 


CHAPTER   XVIIL 

PHYSIQUE  AND  DRESS,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS. 

The  inhabitants  of  most  of  the  islands  in  the  New 
Hebrides  group  are  said  to  belong  to  the  Papuan  race. 
The  natives  of  Erromanga  are  certainly  very  unlike 
the  fine-looking  people  of  Efate,  who  seem  to  be  a 
mixture  of  Polynesian  and  Papuan  blood ;  but  the 
appearance  of  the  native  Erromangans,  I  think,  scarcely 
justifies  the  assertion  that  they  are  the  poorest  speci- 
mens and  the  lowest  race  in  the  New  Hebrides.  They 
are  darker  in  colour  than  the  Tannese,  but  still  are  far 
from  black  ;  a  rich  brown  is  the  usual  complexion.  Here 
and  there  we  find  a  really  black  native,  but  this  is  excep- 
tional. There  are  also  the  fair  freaks  called  the 
nafolian.  Albinoes  are  not  often  seen ;  they  are  not 
specially  noticed,  and  are  called  the  ovun-nesebo,  'the 
white-skinned  '. 

The  Erromangans  are  short  in  stature,  the  usual 
height  being  about  five  ft.  four  in. ;  but  their  bodies  are 
well-developed  and  muscular.  Though  evidently  one 
people,  we  find,  towards  the  south  of  the  island,  very 
much  taller  and  finer-lookmg  men  and  women  than 
those  to  the  north,  who  are  small  and  weak,  and  it  is 
noticeable  that  the  eastern  tribes  are,  in  every  way — 
height,  physique,  strength — very  much  superior  to  the 
western.  The  finest  people  on  the  island  are  the  men 
and  women  of  Numpo-norowo,  on  the  south-east.  After 
our  long   years  here  we  can  tell   at  a  glance  to  what 


PHYSIOUl',  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  363 

district  a  man  belongs.  Of  course,  in  some  measure, 
their  names  help  us,  for  these  are  peculiar  to  their  own 
lands.  On  my  first  visit  to  Erromanga,  I  was  struck 
with  what  seemed  to  me  the  defiant,  sullen  appearance 
of  the  natives.  This,  I  think,  is  due  to  the  deep-set 
eyes  and  projecting  forehead.  The  nose  is  not  large, 
but,  having  no  bridge,  except  in  rare  cases,  it  seems 
very  big ;  the  mouth  is  large,  but  not  always  ill-shaped. 
The  head  itself  is  well-developed.  The  shoulders  are 
sloping ;  the  only  square-shouldered  man  on  the  island 
is  Owang,  and  he  is  not  a  pure  Erromangan.  However 
ugly  the  other  features  may  be,  the  eyes  are  always 
beautiful,  large,  very  dark  and  expressive ;  they  are 
really  lovely,  and  seem  to  be  always  a  native's  redeeming 
feature.  Both  neck  and  wrists  are  small.  The  chest 
and  loins  are  well-developed.  Natives  seem  to  have 
plenty  of  lung  power ;  climbing  a  steep  hill  is  mere 
play  to  them,  but  in  ordinary  hard  work  they  get  tired 
very  easily.  That  seems  to  be  just  the  contrast  between 
our  work  and  theirs.  A  man  will  think  nothing  of 
carrying  an  enormous  pole,  or  several  of  them,  for  build- 
ing his  house,  but  will  draw  back  in  dismay  at  a  cask 
or  heavy  box.  As  children,  their  hmbs  are  miserably 
formed ;  they  have  long,  spindly  arms  and  legs,  badly 
shaped  ankles,,  about  as  thick  as  the  calf  of  the  leg,  and 
such  huge,  distended  "  corporations,"  that  the  body  seems 
almost  deformed.  From  the  age  of  seventeen  years  or 
so  the  figure  begins  to  improve,  and,  in  a  few  years, 
the  lank  scarecrow  of  a  boy,  with  limbs  hke  pipe-stems, 
has  grown  into  a  strong,  well-built  and  muscular  man. 
An  Erromangan's  head  is  not  always  big ;  that  is  gener- 
ally in  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  body.  We  have 
often  noticed  that  some  of  the  women  have  particularly 
small,  neat  feet ;  and,  though  they  do  a  great  deal  of 
hard  plantation  work,  their  hands,  as  a  rule,  are  small, 


364  ERROMANGA 

firm  and  shapely.  A  very  fat  person  is  a  most  unusual 
sight. 

The  less  said  about  the  costume  of  the  Erromangan 
heathen  man  the  better.  They  could  not  very  well 
wear  less  or  look  more  hideous  in  paint  and  dirt.  The 
hair  is  always  very  bushy,  but  is  never  plaited,  and  is 
thus  unlike  that  of  the  Tannese.  One  custom  is  to 
shave  closely  one  side  of  the  head,  while  the  other  is 
allowed  to  grow  in  luxurious  tufts.  In  these  is  stuck  a 
bamboo  comb,  about  six  or  seven  inches  in  length  and 
rudely  carved.  In  heathenism,  anklets  made  of  shells 
were  worn  and  a  chain  of  small  shells  was  often  placed 
just  below  the  knee.  Bracelets  were  made  of  the 
plaited  fandanus  leaf,  and  nearly  every  person — men 
and  women  alike — wore  a  necklace  made  of  plaited 
worenevau  or  '  pandanus ' ;  to  that  was  hung  a  small 
shell,  which  was  kept  on  from  babyhood,  and  was  simply 
a  charm  to  keep  away  disease  or  danger.  The  men  often 
wore  armlets  made  of  carved  and  richly  polished  cocoa- 
nut  shell.  The  ears  of  both  men  and  women  are  pierced, 
but  the  ear  ornaments  are  very  poor,  being  merely 
pieces  of  shaped  wood  and  tortoise-shell.  When  first 
pierced,  a  small  piece  of  hibiscus  wood  is  inserted  to 
keep  the  aperture  open ;  this  is  gradually  enlarged  till 
often  the  lobe  of  the  ear  hangs  away  down  towards  the 
shoulder,  and  the  hole  then  becomes  a  convenient 
receptacle  for  personal  property  of  the  smaller  sort. 
Pipes  are  often  carried  in  these,  and  boxes  of  matches 
also  fit  in  nicely.  As  for  loose  matches,  the  man  has  a 
fine  plantation  for  these  a  little  higher  up ;  for  they 
find  plenty  of  safe  hiding-places  in  his  bushy  crop  of 
hair. 

The  women  in  heathenism  were  well  clothed  with 
the  long,  graceful  skirts,  and  the  native  cloth,  nemas- 
itse,  which  was  thrown   across  their   shoulders.       The 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  365 

skirts  are  made  from  a  number  of  different  plants — the 
pandanus,  the  banana  and  the  very  young,  white  and 
phable  cocoanut  leaves;  also  from  the  inner  silky  bark 
of  the  worenevau,  from  a  species  of  hibiscus,  from  the 
yalehoi,  and  the  stem  of  the  tampoli  or  native  cabbage. 
A  woman  will  take  great  pains  in  making  her  dresses. 
In  fashioning  a  pandanus  leaf  skirt,  she  first  gathers  the 
green  leaves,  choosing  them  the  length  she  requires. 
These  are  bound  together  in  sheaves,  and  it  is  quite 
a  common  thing  to  see  her,  as  she  returns  from  her 
plantation  work,  bearing  the  material  for  her  next  new 
dress  on  the  top  of  her  head,  waving  like  plumes.  The 
next  process  can  take  place  while  she  and  her  friends 
are  sitting  gossiping  together,  and  with  her  sleeping 
baby  tied  on  her  back,  and  the  evening  meal  cooking  m 
the  ground,  our  friend  takes  out  her  fancy  work. 

The  prickly  edges  are  first  stripped  off  the  leaves 
by  a  small  piece  of  bamboo,  the  rough  centre  vein 
being  removed  by  her  teeth.  Next  comes  the  pattern- 
ing, and  this  is  done  in  either  of  two  ways — by  the 
rough  stem  of  the  tree-fern  or  by  her  own  sharp,  white 
teeth.  She  may  make  only  one  dress  at  a  time  ;  more 
often  she  prepares  several,  and  will  use  up  the  shorter 
leaves  as  skirts  for  the  children,  when  they  are  too 
young  to  do  their  own  "  sewing  ".  But  they  learn  this 
art  when  they  are  very  small,  and  often  just  baby 
fingers  will  be  seen  twisting  and  weaving  a  tiny  skirt  for 
their  owner's  use.  When  the  patterning  is  done  to  her 
liking,  the  edges  are  fringed  by  the  bamboo  knife, 
the  butt  end  of  the  leaf  also  being  divided  into  short 
narrow  strips.  These  are  to  be  ready  for  plaiting  on  to 
the  girdle  later  on. 

The  lady  has  now  completed  the  first  process,  and  at 
dusk,  after  putting  the  baby  to  bed  and  leaving  her 
man   in  charge   of  it,   she  ties  the   green   leaves   into 


366  ERROMANGA 

bundles,  and  strolls  seawards ;  for  the  material  must 
now  be  soaked  to  make  it  durable.  She  places  the 
bundles  in  shallow  water  near  the  shore,  covering  them 
with  a  large  stone ;  fresh  water  seems  to  be  as  good 
as  salt  for  the  purpose,  and  the  bundles  of  leaves  are 
often  put  in  the  river.  After  a  few  days  she  uncovers 
them,  and,  taking  them  out  of  the  water,  spreads  them 
on  the  shore  or  river  bank  to  bleach.  They  are  soon 
perfectly  white  and  pliable,  and  are  now  ready  for  the 
third  process.  In  her  odd  moments  she  has  been  pre- 
paring some  soft  worenevau  for  use  as  twine,  and  this 
evening,  with  her  friends  again  gathered  round,  some 
of  them,  perhaps,  engaged  in  the  same  work,  she 
weaves  the  leaves  of  her  skirt  to  the  twine.  Sitting 
on  the  ground,  with  her  feet  spread  straight  before  her, 
she  ties  the  worenevau  to  her  big  toe,  and  proceeds  to 
twist  it  into  a  fine  cord.  When  it  is  a  few  inches  long, 
one  leaf  of  the  pandanus  is  taken,  and  the  short  strips, 
which  have  already  been  cut  in  the  butt  end,  are  laid 
over  the  cord,  and  woven  carefully  in  with  more  of  the 
worenevau.  When  the  leaves  have  all  been  fastened  in 
this  manner,  the  lady  finishes  off  with  enough  twine 
to  tie  the  ends,  and  then  skilfully  detaches  the  cord  from 
that  useful  big  toe.  The  dress  is  now  ready  for  use, 
unless  she  decides  to  colour  it.  A  dye  of  a  rich  red 
shade  is  taken  from  the  root  of  a  tree,  and  called  nohorat. 
The  sap  is  heated,  mixed  with  ashes,  and  then  strained. 
Some  of  the  dresses  are  simply  buried  in  mud,  which 
gives  them  a  peculiar  grey  tint. 

These  skirts  look  very  pretty  when  finished,  and  being 
very  light  are  worn  in  great  numbers  at  once.  In 
heathenism  as  many  as  twenty  or  thirty  are  donned. 
A  child  wears  them  quite  short,,  but,  as  soon  as  she  is 
engaged,  however  small  she  may  be,  the  skirts  are 
lengthened   to   the   ankles,   and   on   marriage    the   very 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  367 

longest  ones  are  worn.  Some  of  those  worn  by  the 
married  women  in  heathenism  are  very  long.  The  front 
leaves  are  cut  so  that  they  just  touch  the  ground,  while 
the  others  are  left  the  full  length  and  sweep  out  in  a  long 
train  behind.  These  skirts  are  often  from  eight  feet  to 
nine  feet  in  length.  An  Erromangan  woman  in  full 
heathen  costume  is  a  picturesque  sight — the  long,  trail- 
ing skirts  helpmg  to  make  her  look  tall  and  graceful, 
and  from  their  custom  of  carrying  all  burdens,  even 
very  heavy  ones,  on  their  heads,  our  women  have  excep- 
tionally straight  figures  and  well-poised  heads.  The 
native  cloth,  the  tapa,  is  brought  under  one  arm  and 
tied  in  a  loose  knot  on  the  other  shoulder.  No  orna- 
ment is  worn  in  the  hair,  which  is  kept  short,  and 
perhaps  only  a  string  of  beads  round  the  neck  and  an 
armlet  or  two  made  of  cocoanut  shell.  In  heathenism 
both  men  and  women  were  painted. 

All  women  were  tatooed ;  sometimes  on  the  body 
and  arms,  and  always  on  the  face,  generally  on  each 
cheek,  and  often  on  the  chin.  Now  and  again  we  see 
a  man  who  has  been  tatooed,  but  this  is  not  common. 
The  marking  was  done  when  the  girls  were  betrothed, 
and  by  other  women,  generally  old  ones.  A  sharp  piece 
of  bamboo  was  used,  and  the  tatooing  done  in  patterns 
of  leaves  with  stems  down  the  length  of  the  face  and 
single  leaves  if  continued  on  the  chin.  The  operation 
must  have  been  very  painful,  but  seems  to  have  been 
cheerfully  undergone,  and  we  very  rarely  hear  of  girls 
who  were  unwilling  to  be  beautified  in  this  manner.  A 
piece  of  the  nangai,  '  nut '  tree  was  taken  and  heated 
over  the  embers  till  the  sap  began  to  ooze  out,  and  this 
was  allowed  to  drip  into  a  bamboo  receptacle.  When 
enough  had  been  gathered,  a  little  of  it  mixed  with  some 
water  was  put  into  a  cocoanut  shell,  and  this  mixture 
smeared  over  the  face.     That  was  allowed  to  stay  on 


368  ERROMANGA 

from  two  to  four  weeks,  and  then  all  was  washed  off, 
leaving  now  only  the  well-defined  markings.  The 
tatooing,  when  well  done,  is  not  at  all  unsightly ;  some 
of  the  leaves  are  finely  formed,  and  their  dark,  blackened 
veins  show  out  well  against  the  dull  brown  of  the 
woman's  cheek.  But  it  is  a  barbaric  feature  of  heathen- 
ism, and  as  such  we  have  discountenanced  it  very 
strongly.  We  approve  of  the  natives  keeping  up  their 
old  customs  when  these  are  innocent  and  good  ones  ; 
but  as  so  many  of  them  are  connected  with  their  super- 
stitious and  often  cruel  rites  this  is  not  often  possible. 

The  native  cloth,  which  is  called  tapa  on  Samoa  and 
on  Erromanga  nemas-iise  (nemas,  '  cloth/  itse^  '  beaten  '), 
is  made  from  the  inner  bark  of  the  banyan  and  one  or 
two  other  large  trees,  and  is  always  the  work  of  the 
women.  The  bark  is  taken  off  in  broad  strips,  and  done 
up  in  bundles.  Then,  on  a  round,  smooth  log  about  a 
foot  in  diameter  and  eight  or  ten  feet  in  length,  one 
of  these  strips  is  laid.  Generally  two  women  work  to- 
gether at  it,  one  on  each  side  of  the  log.  The  '  beater ' 
inekd)  is  made  of  nokesam,  a  very  hard  wood,  which 
takes  a  high  polish.  With  the  exception  of  the  handle, 
which  is  plain,  it  is  often  beautifully  carved  in  patterns 
of  leaves.  Each  woman  has  on  the  ground  beside  her 
a  small  canoe-shaped  dish  of  fresh  water  and  a  whisk 
made  of  reeds.  Every  now  and  again  the  bark  is 
sprayed  with  water,  and,  after  it  is  beaten  for  a  long 
time,  another  strip  is  added,  overlapping  the  edge  of  the 
first  one.  The  bark  is  so  glutinous  that  in  the  constant 
beating  the  pieces  join  very  quickly.  As  the  women 
work,  they  draw  the  fabric  from  side  to  side  of  the  log ; 
strip  after  strip  is  added,  principally  lengthwise  (for  the 
cloth  is  always  narrow  and  long),  till  it  is  one  solid  piece. 
The  colour  is  now  a  dull  white,  and  the  material  very 
like  parchment  in  appearance.     It  is  then  hung  over  a 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  369 

bamboo  or  over  some  creepers  tied  between  trees,  and, 
while  still  damp,  patterns  are  drawn  on  it  with  char- 
coal. The  usual  designs  are  the  crescent  moon  (which 
seems  to  be  used  as  a  sign  of  and  in  connection  with 
their  sacred  stones  ^  and  heathen  festivals),  birds,  fishes, 
lizards,  flying-foxes,^  and  usually  the  never-failing  palm 
leaf  and  other  leaves.  Sometimes  there  is  an  attempt 
at  drawing  human  beings,  and  we  were  very  much 
amused  one  day  lately  when  a  piece  of  nemas-itsd  was 
brought  to  us  with  weird  illustrations  of  men  on  horse- 
back.2  The  artist  was  evidently  a  lady  who  moved  with 
the  times.  One  side  only  of  the  cloth  is  marked.  It  is 
left  hanging  till  thoroughly  dry,  and  then  coloured  with 
nohorat.  Sometimes,  though  rarely,  it  is  left  uncoloured. 
The  usual  size  of  the  pieces  is  about  three  feet  in  width 
and  seven  feet  in  length.  On  the  island  of  Efate  it 
is  made  very  much  longer,  and  is  elegantly  finished  with 
fringes  of  feathers.  Theirs  is  also  finer  than  the 
Erromangan  tapa.  I  have  never  seen  it,  and,  as  far  as 
I  know,  it  is  not  made  on  any  island  south  of  that. 

In  heathenism  the  nemas-itse  was  used  as  barter,  and, 
as  I  have  already  said,  as  part  of  the  dress  of  the  women. 
And  it  was  in  a  strip  of  this  that  a  woman  always  carried 
her  baby.  The  Erromangan  children  are  carried  on 
their  mothers'  backs,  but  now  strong  calico  is  used  for 
this  /purpose  instead  of  nemas-itse.  The  numberless 
grass  skirts  of  the  woman  make  an  enormous  bunch 
at  the  back,  which  is  a  fine,  comfortable  seat  for  the 
child!  The  mother  twists  the  cloth  securely  round 
it,  brings  one  end  under  her  left  shoulder,  the  other 
over  her  right,  and  giving  them  a  twist  or  two  round 
each  other,  slips  one  end  under  the  knot,  and  is  ready 
to  carry  her  burden  any  distance.  The  child  is  most 
comfortable,  will  sleep  soundly,  and  it  seems  to  be  the 
easiest  way  for  the  mother  to  carry  it.     When  the  baby 


370  ERROMANGA 

is  very  young  it  is  strapped  in  front,  the  woman's  arm 
helping  to  support  the  tiny  body. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  straight  figures  of  the  Erro- 
mangan  women.  It  is  marvellous  to  see  the  loads  that 
they  carry.  It  is  quite  a  common  thing  to  meet  a 
woman  with  a  child  on  her  back,  and  a  heavy  load  of 
yams  tied  together  on  her  head,  above  that  a  bundle 
of  sticks  for  her  fire,  and  over  her  shoulder  a 
large  bamboo  filled  with  water.  She  cannot  but  keep 
straight,  and  she  has  been  inured  to  this  from  childhood. 
With  a  load  hke  this,  a  woman  can  walk  a  long  distance, 
and  often  has  to  climb  hills,  and  yet  will  keep  as  erect 
and  look  almost  as  fresh  at  the  end  of  her  journey  as 
when  she  started. 

The  weapons  of  the  people  are  bows  and  arrows, 
clubs^  battle-axes  and  spears.  The  '  bow '  (nefane)  is 
made  from  the  more,  a  species  of  acacia — a  dark,  heavy 
wood,  in  appearance  something  like  walnut.  The  wood 
must  be  cut  from  an  inland  tree  (for  that  will  be  tall 
and  straight),  perhaps  five  or  six  miles  from  the  sea- 
coast.  A  section,  about  five  feet  long,  is  cut  from  the 
trunk  and  split  into  several  pieces.  One  of  these  is 
taken,  and  is  roughly  shaped  by  axes  to  about  twice 
the  size  wanted.  All  the  rest  of  the  work  is  done  with 
a  pig's  tusk,  for  no  sharp  instrument  is  used  for  fear 
of  cutting  the  grain.  The  bow  is  carefully  shaped  to 
about  five  feet  in  length  and,  perhaps,  an  inch  at  its 
broadest  part,  the  middle,  and  from  this  it  gradually 
tapers  off  to  about  the  thickness  of  a  lead  pencil  at  each 
end.  The  nelas  or  '  string '  is  made  of  the  inner  bark  of 
the  hibiscus,  and  sometimes  from  the  nendemai,  which 
is  a  small  shrub.  The  bow  is  bent  on  the  knee,  and  kept 
tied  for  a  while  till  it  gets  its  shape.  But  after  this, 
when  not  in  use,  the  string  is  always  left  loose,  being 
fastened  only  at  one  end.     When  needed  it  is  tied  in 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  371 

a  twinkling,  and  it  is  wound  in  a  very  neat  design  round 
the  narrowed  part  of  the  bow. 

The  '  arrow-shaft '  (nagesau)  is  made  from  the  stem 
of  the  tall  reed-grass,  a  specially  straight  one  being 
picked.  This,  of  course,  has  its  natural  polish.  The 
lower  part  of  the  stem  of  the  tree-fern  gives  the  head 
of  the  arrow.  That  wood  is  very  hard,  almost  hke 
iron  in  durability.  This  may  be  over  a  foot  in  length. 
The  end  of  the  head  is  barbed  and  ornamented  with 
notches,  and  finished  with  a  very  sharp  point.  The 
butt  end  is  also  pointed,  shoved  firmly  into  the  centre 
or  pithy  part  of  the  reed,  and  bound  with  one  strand 
of  cocoanut  fibre,  which  looks  exactly  like  copper  wire. 
The  lower  end  of  the  reed  is  also  sewed  with  cocoanut 
fibre  to  make  it  stronger.  The  shaft  is  not  feathered, 
and  the  points  of  the  arrows  are  never  poisoned,  as  in 
the  northern  islands.  There  are  usually  six  arrows  to 
one  bow ;  that  makes  the  set.  They  are  polished  with 
cocoanut  oil^  and  in  time  become  of  a  dark  brown  or 
black  colour  and  very  glossy. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  *  clubs '  (nirom),  the  "  telug- 
homti"  the  ^^ novwan"  and  the  "netnivri".  The  butt 
end  of  every  club  is  surmounted  by  a  flat,  round  knob ; 
this  is  always  carved  in  a  pattern  of  four  leaves;  there 
is  never  any  change. 

The  telughomti  or  '  star-club '  is  now  very  rare.  It 
was  only  made  on  the  south  or  south-east  side  of  the 
island,  and  particularly  at  Numpu-norowo.  The  head 
is  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  star  of  eight  points,  each  perfectly 
finished.  An  old  telughomti  (and  some  that  I  have  seen 
must  be  very  old,  having  passed  down  from  one  genera- 
tion to  another)  is  as  black  as  ebony  and  highly  polished, 
and  is  very  much  valued  by  the  natives.  It  was  not  so 
much  in  use  for  fighting  as  for  a  money  medium,  for 
they  were  given  as  special  marks  of  favour  at  the  great 


372  ERROMANGA 

feasts,  and  women  were  bought  with  them.  As  far  as 
I  know,  the  only  other  star-clubs  in  this  group  are  those 
of  Tanna,  which  are  much  larger,  but  inferior  to  the 
telugJiontti  of  this  island.  During  a  trip  in  the  Day- 
spring  at  Epi,  Captain  Braithwaite  told  me  that  he 
had  seen  a  splendid  star-club,  much  finer  than  any  we 
had  on  Erromanga.  I  recognised  the  club  and  the 
owner  as  soon  as  I  saw  them;  the  club  was  an  Erro- 
mangan  one  which  I  had  given  him  in  exchange  for  an 
Epi  one  some  time  before. 

The  novwan  ('  seed ')  is  an  oval-shaped,  heavy  club, 
with  a  long  bead  or  vein  running  down  its  whole  length. 
It  is  also  becoming  rare. 

The  netnivri  is  the  most  common  of  the  three.  The 
head  is  finished  in  the  same  way  as  the  handle,  with 
the  flat,  disc-like  top  carved  with  four  leaves.  Just 
below  this  the  club  tapers  off  to  a  very  small  size. 
About  ten  inches  down  there  are  two  more  of  these 
"  discs  "  close  together,  and  between  these  and  the  head 
"  disc  "  the  club  has  gradually  been  widened.  Thus  it 
may  be  about  five  or  six  inches  in  circumference  just 
in  the  centre,  but  barely  two  or  three  inches  where  it 
meets  the  discs.  The  rest  of  the  club  is  plain  and 
small  in  size.  These  weapons,  like  the  bows,  are  made 
principally  with  pigs'  tusks.  When  finished,  they  are 
hung  up  to  the  ridge-poles  of  the  siman-lo,  far  from  the 
fire  but  in  the  way  of  the  smoke.  Every  now  and  again 
they  are  taken  down  and  rubbed  with  cocoanut  oil, 
and  in  time  this,  with  the  constant  smoke,  gives  the 
clubs  a  fine  black  appearance  and  rich  polish.  I  have 
tried  to  get  our  natives  to  keep  on  making  clubs,  and  I 
tell  them  they  should  never  think  of  giving  up  the  art. 
They  have  had  every  encouragement ;  for  a  good  club 
will  always  fetch  a  ready  sale.  They  say  they  can't 
make  them  as  well  as  the  old  men — their  fathers  and 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  373 

grandfathers — made  them,  and  no  doubt  this,  in  a  sense, 
is  true.  For  the  old  men  of  the  past  generation,  having 
no  implements  but  the  rude  axes  and  pigs'  tusks,  seem 
to  have  taken  infinite  pains  and  turned  out  work  that  is 
a  marvel  of  neatness  and  perfection  in  form. 

For  about  sixty  years  our  people  have  had  English 
tomahawks.  They  insert  the  blade  in  a  handle  of  highly 
polished  more,  having  its  end  carved  in  the  never-failing 
leaf  pattern.  In  appearance  the  whole  handle  is  very 
like  a  small  club.  They  have  a  custom  of  winding 
bright-coloured  strips  of  calico  round  the  handle,  and 
the  "  spear-thrower  " — a  cord  made  of  pandanus  leaf — 
was  at  one  time  always  fastened  to  it.  Their  own  early 
axes  were  of  stone.  Stones  were  picked  as  near  the 
desired  shape  and  size  as  possible,  and  then  ground 
on  other  stones  till  quite  the  right  size,  and  sharpened 
at  one  end.  The  axe  was  somewhat  oval  in  shape,  and 
from  about  four  to  six  inches  in  width  at  the  largest 
end,  and  tapering  to  about  one  and  a  half  inches  at  the 
other.  The  wooden  handle,  about  two  and  a  half  feet 
in  length,  had  a  bowl  at  the  end,  where  it  was  tied  to 
keep  it  from  slipping  out  of  the  hand.  The  other  end 
was  very  large,  and  had  a  hole  dug  out  with  pigs'  tusks 
and  sharp  shells  where  the  axe  was  inserted.  It  was 
then  very  firmly  secured  by  strong  twine  made  of  cocoa- 
nut  fibre,  and  sometimes  cemented  with  the  glutinous 
part  of  the  ulaveri,  the  '  ground  orchid '. 

The  sau  or  '  spear '  of  Erromanga  is  a  very  inferior 
article.  It  is  merely  a  rudely  shaped,  strong  rod,  very 
like  a  fishing-rod,  and  is  used  both  for  fishing  and  for 
fighting.  No  pains  are  taken  in  the  making  of  it,  and 
it  is  rarely  if  ever  carved.  The  end  is  sharply  pointed 
and  finished  with  large  barbs  and  notches.  A  spear 
is  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  in  length.  After  it  is  made 
it  is  generally  weighted  with  a  heavy  stone,  and  hung 


374  ERROMANGA 

for  some  time  to  a  large  tree  in  order  to  make  it  perfectly 
straig-ht. 

Like  the  spear,  the  canoe  of  Erromanga  is  of  very 
rough  manufacture.  It  is  formed  from  the  trunk  of  the 
nejnar  or  bread-fruit  tree,  and  also  from  the  neblibli. 
In  early  times,  the  log  was  first  burnt  away  to  a  length 
and  then  hollowed  into  shape  by  the  same  means  and 
by  stone  axes.  The  outrigger  is  made  simply,  and  with 
no  ornamentation.  All  the  lashings  are  of  the  strong 
twine  made  of  the  cocoanut  fibre.  The  canoes  in  use 
in  the  northern  islands  of  the  group  are  very  much 
bigger  and  superior  in  every  way  to  those  made  on 
Erromanga  and  one  or  two  others  of  the  southern 
islands.  Strange  to  say,  those  again  of  Aniwa  and 
Futuna  ^  are  fairly  large  and  beautifully  built ;  the  Erro- 
mangan  canoes  seem  very  poor  by  contrast. 

Huts,  in  former  times,  were  built  without  posts  or 
walls,  as  now,  and  were  in  shape  not  unlike  a  huge 
boat,  keel  up  or  "  turned  turtle  ".  The  ground  was  first 
raised  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches,  then  slender  poles, 
about  three  feet  apart,  were  sunk  twelve  inches  in  the 
ground.  These  were  bent  over  and  tied  with  very 
tough  creepers  to  the  ridge-pole.  Across  these,  lighter 
poles  were  placed,  and  on  this  framework  was  a  cover- 
ing of  reeds  (the  stems  of  the  tall  reed-grass)  beauti- 
fully woven  together.  Over  all  this  was  placed  the 
thatch  of  sugar-cane  leaf,  or  reeds  with  their  grassy 
tops,  this  being  securely  tied  through  reed-work  under- 
neath. This  covering  was  very  strong  and  yet  cool. 
When  it  was  to  be  used  as  a  sleeping  house,  both  ends 
were  thatched,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  entrance 
or  doorway.  The  door  was  simply  a  plaited  cocoanut 
leaf  with  hinges  of  creepers.  These  sleeping  huts 
would  be  about  twelve  feet  by  eight  feet.  The  modern 
hut  has  nearly  always  upright  posts,   with  wall-plates 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  375 

instead    of   bent   poles,    and   this,    of   course,    is    much 
cooler  and  more  healthy  than  the  old-fashioned  style. 

The  large  sinian-lo  (general  cooking  and  sleeping 
house  for  the  young  or  unmarried  males)  is  almost 
always  built  in  the  old  way — without  walls.  It  has  a 
very  rustic  and  picturesque  appearance.  These  sinian-lo 
are  usually  from  forty  feet  to  fifty  feet  in  length,  and 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  width.  When  we  first 
came  to  Erromanga  the  siman-ld  was,  in  every  case, 
owned  by  a  chief  of  rank.  None  of  the  common  people 
dared  to  imitate  the  fan-Id  or  high  chiefs,  by  putting 
up  one  of  these  houses.  They  were  very  large,  and 
built  with  the  utmost  care  and  taste.  In  the  south  dis- 
tricts of  the  island,  I  have  seen  siman-ld  which  were 
over  one  hundred  feet  long,  twenty  feet  wide  and  about 
twenty-five  feet  in  height.  Owing  to  the  fires  which 
were  constantly  burning  in  them,  all  the  woodwork 
was  black  and  shining,  and  was  a  very  considerable 
improvement  to  the  appearance  of  the  enormous  build- 
ings, within  and  without 

Now,  every  young  man  who  can  get  enough  grass 
and  wood  together  puts  up  a  kind  of  siman-ld,  and  he 
will  always  find  some  "  hangers  on  "  to  cook  and  sleep 
in  it,  who  are  too  lazy  to  build  a  house  for  themselves. 
At  the  present  time,  there  must  be  about  fifteen  or  six- 
teen such  siman-lo  in  Dillon's  Bay  alone,  and  there  are 
not  more  than  a  hundred  people  in  the  village.  The 
Erromangan  houses  are  indeed  very  pretty  when  new, 
and,  in  my  opinion,  are  much  finer  than  those  of  the 
other  islands.  If  the  people  would  only  take  more 
pains  to  keep  them  clean,  they  could  make  them  very 
attractive,  but,  unfortunately,  the  reverse  is  the  case. 
There  is  not  a  mat,  no  order,  nothing  neat  and  tidy; 
but  clothing,  children,  adults,  knives,  guns,  cixes,  food 
and  ash-piles  all  mixed  up  together,  and  hard  it  is  to 


176  ERROMANGA 

say  what  the  blackest  thing  is.  Of  course  I  am  speak- 
ing of  the  very  worst  of  them  now.  Some  of  our  people, 
I  must  say,  do  try  to  make  their  houses  more  present- 
able, and  those  who  are  naturally  clean  and  tidy  will 
show  their  good  habits  in  everything.  Very  good 
houses  are  built  on  Efate.  They  are  large  and  roomy, 
with  doors  in  the  sides,  and  often  with  projecting  roof 
and  verandah.  The  Efate  houses  are  clean,  and  the 
ground  completely  covered  with  excellent  mats  made  by 
the  people  themselves,  and  raised  seats  placed  around 
the  wall.  The  wood  of  the  Erromangan  houses  is  of 
the  best  77iore,  the  lashing  being  of  split  cane,  called 
teru.  The  cord  used  in  tying  the  thatch  is  made  from 
the  leaf  of  the  pandanus  or  screw  pine. 

Fences  are  made  of  reeds  worked  in  a  diamond  pat- 
tern, and  the  inner  walls  of  houses  are  often  ornamented 
in  this  way. 

Erromanga,  especially  in  the  west  coast,  as  I  have  said 
before,  is  not  a  fertile  island,  but  generally  our  people 
have  enough  and  to  spare.  The  indigenous  foods  are : 
yams,  of  which  there  are  twenty-six  different  varieties ; 
the  ufle,  or  sweet  yam  ;  taro,  of  which  there  are  seventeen 
kinds ;  the  banana,  of  which  there  are  at  least  thirteen 
kinds  ;  tampoH,  a  species  of  hibiscus  and  called  cabbage  ; 
beans ;  novivane,  or  horse-chestnut ;  another  ndvwane 
('  seed '),  out  of  which  match-boxe.s  are  made  by  Euro- 
peans ;  the  yivoli,  or  arrowroot ;  nupne,  or  tapioca  ;  nie\ 
a  wild,  stringy  root  resembling  yam  in  appearance  ;  nevi ; 
yetu  ;  wevi,  or  rose-apple  ;  narah  ;  nesiy  or  pa  paw  apple  ; 
mushrooms,  etc.  There  is  a  large  variety  of  the  native 
fig,  butj  as  it  is  not  cultivated  and  allowed  to  run  to 
waste,  it  is  not  edible.  A  fig  tree  that  grows  on  Tanna 
bears  a  very  fine  fruit.  I  planted  it  on  this  island,  and 
the  natives  are  extremely  fond  of  it.  They  often  use 
the  young   leaves  in   the  same   way   as   their   tampoli 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  m 

(cabbage).  A  wild  native  orange  grows,  but  is  quite 
unfit  for  use.  The  real  orange,  which  has  been  intro- 
duced, grows  luxuriantly.  Mrs.  Henry  was  the  first  to 
plant  it ;  Mr.  Gordon  planted  more,  and,  since  we  came 
in  1872,  we  have  put  out  tree  after  tree,  and  have  en- 
couraged the  natives  to  do  so  also.  As  far  as  I  know, 
there  are  now  about  seven  hundred  trees  on  the  island, 
and  these  bear  on  an  average  from  five  hundred  to  two 
thousand  fruits  during  the  season,  which  is  a  long  one, 
lasting  from  about  the  end  of  February  to  the  beginning 
of  November  and  sometimes  even  later.  The  Erro- 
mangan  orange  is  thin-skinned,  large  and  juicy ;  we 
think  it  a  perfect  fruit.  Unfortunately,  any  attempts 
to  ship  cases  of  them  to  Sydney  have  been  failures, 
owing  partly  to  the  long  sea-trip  before  they  could  be 
landed  and  the  fact  that  the  steamer  could  only  call 
for  them  at  certain  dates.  When  these  difficulties  were 
removed,  there  still  remained  the  expense  of  boxes, 
etc.,  and  the  then  heavy  duty  charges  in  Sydney.  So 
there  has  been  no  profit  whatever.  But  regarding  the 
suitableness  of  the  fruit  itself,  the  trade  opinion  was  that 
no  better  oranges  had  ever  been  on  the  market.  It  is 
a  pity  that  the  natives  have  not  been  able  to  make 
something  by  this  export,  for  every  year  there  are 
thousands  of  beautiful  oranges  going  to  waste.  Lemons 
also  thrive  in  abundance.  Other  fruits  which  grow  well 
under  cultivation  are  limes,  the  pine-apple,  custard-apple, 
mango,  guava,  water-melon  and  granadilla.  Maize  corn 
also  grows  plentifully.  Pumpkins,  cabbage,  onions  and 
other  vegetables  are  capable  of  cultivation,  though  our 
natives  are  not  so  industrious  in  planting  these  as  they 
might  be.  Coffee  grows  very  well  on  all  the  islands  of 
the  group ;  it  has  never  been  exported  from  this  one. 
The  yam  is  the  most  important  of  the  native  pro- 
ducts, for  taro  is  not  plentiful,  and  is  rarely  grown  on 


378  ERROMANGA 

the  west  side  of  Erromanga.  The  yams  range  in  length 
from  about  seven  inches  to  four  and  five  feet,  but  the 
usual  size  is  about  two  feet  in  length  and  twelve  inches 
round.  I  believe  they  grow  to  a  much  larger  size  on 
many  of  the  other  islands,  but  they  certainly  are  not 
superior  in  quality  to  the  Erromangan  yams,  which, 
I  think,  cannot  be  beaten  anywhere.  The  very  small 
yams,  commonly  known  among  white  people  as  "  chiefs' 
yams,"  are  only  roasted  in  the  hot  embers — tovum,  as 
this  is  called.  They  are  cooked  to  perfection  in  this 
way,  and  their  taste  is  excellent.  We  think  that  yam 
is  very  much  superior  to  potato,  and  never  miss  the 
latter,  though  many  settlers  and  others  use  nothing  but 
potato  and  never  seem  to  really  enjoy  its  substitute. 
The  yam  is  planted  in  mounds.  The  ground  for  the 
plantations  is  first  thoroughly  cleared  and  burnt,  all  large 
branches  lopped  from  the  trees,  though  the  trees  them- 
selves are  not  cut  down  unless  too  close  together.  The 
Erromangans  do  not  adopt  such  an  elaborate  system  of 
planting  as  the  Tannese  and  others,  but,  though  they 
do  their  work  on  a  smaller  scale,  they  take  great  pains 
in  tending  their  gardens.  They  plant  in  the  winter. 
When  the  vine  of  the  yam  begins  to  grow,  it  is  trained 
on  reeds  from  mound  to  mound,  or,  if  anywhere  near 
one,  to  a  tree. 

The  big  meal  of  the  day  is  the  evening  one.  When 
the  people  return  from  their  gardens,  about  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  or  often  much  later  during  the  planting 
season,  they  begin  at  once  to  prepare  their  puddings. 
A  great  hole  is  dug  in  the  ground  and  lined  with  a 
layer  of  stones.  A  fire  is  kindled  on  these,  and  on 
this  again  a  number  of  fairly  large  stones  are  thrown. 
While  the  "  oven  "  is  heating,  the  food  is  prepared  for 
it.  Generally  the  "  woman  of  the  house  "  will  attend 
to  this,  though  her  husband  often  helps.     Banana  leaves, 


PHYSIQUE.  ETC,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  379 

which  have  had  the  thick  part  of  the  centre  vein 
peeled  off,  are  laid  for  a  moment  over  the  smoking  fire. 
This  makes  them  pliable  and  tempers  them  for  the  heat 
of  the  oven.  The  woman  then  lifts  her  yam,  taro  or 
banana,  as  the  case  may  be,  and,  sitting  on  the  ground 
with  several  layers  of  leaves  beside  her,  she  takes  her 
grater — two  or  three  of  the  prickly  stalks  of  the  tree- 
fern — and  busily  grates  up  and  down  until  the  food  is 
like  a  pulp.  If  she  is  making  a  neoki,  she  now  takes 
another  leaf  or  dish  in  which  cocoanut  has  been  grated, 
and  mixes  with  it  the  meat  of  prawns,  which  have  been 
caught  some  distance  up  the  river.  This  mixture  is 
then  laid  on  the  mashed  yam  or  taro,  the  outer  part 
of  this  again  being  folded  over  the  cocoanut  in  the 
style  of  a  sandwich.  The  banana  leaves  are  then  care- 
fully brought  over  each  other,  and  tied  up  with  the  stem 
or  centre  vein  which  was  taken  off  at  the  first,  or  with 
any  creeper  that  may  be  handy.  These  have  been 
placed  under  the  leaves  before  the  pudding  is  prepared, 
so  that  nothing  need  be  moved  in  the  tying.  It  is  now 
ready  for  the  oven,  and  the  upper  stones,  which  are  by 
this  time  thoroughly  heated,  are  lifted  off  with  a  forked 
stick,  called  the  woreso  or  woreJiuvi.  The  fire  is  then 
poked  away  till  the  lower  layer  of  stones  is  reached. 
On  this  are  placed  numbers  of  leaves,  and  on  these 
again  the  neoki,  which  has  just  been  made ;  leaves  are 
thrown  on  top  of  this,  then  one  hot  stone  after  another. 
Leaves  are  again  put  over  these,  and  all  are  covered  in 
with  earth  and  raised  in  the  shape  of  a  mound.  The 
food  is  left  to  steam  for  about  two  hours.  The  earth 
is  then  scraped  away  by  halved  cocoanut  shells,  the 
woreso  being  again  used  for  lifting  off  the  stones.  The 
moki  is  found  thoroughly  cooked,  and,  when  cut,  shows 
the  rich  red  of  the  prawn  right  through  the  cocoanut, 
the  flavour  of  the  fish  giving  the  food  a  delicious  taste. 


38o  ERROMANGA 

An  opi-opi  is  made  by  cutting  up  tampoli  (cabbage) 
into  shreds,  and  putting  it  between  the  yam  instead  of 
grated  cocoanut.  Instead  of  being  used  in  that  way, 
the  cocoanut  is  mixed  with  a  httle  salt  water,  and  then 
strained  on  to  the  cabbage  through  a  strainer  made  of 
the  fibrous  "  cloth  "  which  hangs  from  the  bark  of  the 
cocoanut  tree.  The  yam  is  folded  over  this  in  the  same 
way  as  in  the  7ieoki. 

Another  dish,  called  tampumpie,  is  made  by  cutting 
up  yam  or  taro  into  thin  slices.  In  the  centre  of  this, 
a  fowl,  well  plucked  and  cleaned,  is  placed,  and  grated 
cocoanut,  mixed  with  salt  water,  strained  over  all.  This 
is  a  very  dainty  and  palatable  dish ;  the  fowl  is  cooked 
to  perfection,  and  we  often  have  a  tampumpii  made  in 
preference  to  having  the  fowl  cooked  in  our  own  kitchen. 

A  kind  of  neoki  is  made  by  scraping  out  the  seeds 
of  the  nesi  (papaw-apple)  and  filling  the  hollow  with 
grated  cocoanut  and  prawns.  Crabs  are  often  used  in 
place  of  prawns.  Fish,  almost  as  soon  as  it  is  caught, 
is  rolled  itt  leaves  and  roasted  on  hot  stones  or  in  the 
embers.  Shell-fish  are  put  into  a  bamboo  and  roasted, 
and  beans  are  generally  cooked  in  the  same  way. 

When  a  pig  is  to  be  cooked,  it  is  brained  (not  bled), 
then  at  once  cut  up  into  quarters.  These  are  first 
singed  over  a  glowing  fire,  then  scraped  with  knives. 
They  are  not  washed,  but,  after  this,  are  turned  on  hot 
stones,  and  then  scraped  again  with  knives  until  quite 
clean — that  is,  what  a  native  would  call  quite  clean. 
They  are  then  rolled  in  leaves,  and  cooked  in  the  ground 
in  the  ordinary  way.  If  they  are  very  large,  and  a  big 
"  oven  "  is  being  prepared,  the  quarters  are  just  thrown 
on  the  hot  stones,  with  a  layer  of  leaves  under  and 
over  them.  Huge  junks  of  yams  are  placed  here  and 
there  in  the  same  "  oven,"  and  over  all  these  the  smaller 
roasts  or  puddings  that  are  to  be  cooked.     After  the 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  381 

pork  has  been  taken  out  and  divided,  it  is  often  cut  up 
into  smaller  pieces  and  made  into  a  variety  of  dainty 
dishes. 

The  bamboo  is  used  for  a  water-bottle ;  the  pieces 
which  divide  the  sections  having  been  knocked  out. 
These  "  bottles  "  are  of  all  lengths  from  about  four  feet 
to  ten  or  twelve  feet,  or  even  longer.  Bamboos  are 
often  carved,  principally  in  the  leaf  design  and  in  lattice- 
work.    Those  used  for  the  water  are  generally  plain. 

Fish,  both  from  fresh  and  salt  water,  is  plentiful,  and 
very  good.  Among  birds  we  have  the  large  blue  pigeon, 
parrot,  parroquet,  the  sea  pigeon,  which  burrows  its 
nest  in  the  ground  by  roots  of  trees  and  on  high  hills, 
the  hawk  {sokewavi),  raven,  white  and  dark  owl,  crane 
plover,  thrush,  king-fisher,  the  flying-fox  {nicgkerai\  the 
swallow  {menuk  sat),  the  wild  canary  and  many  other 
birds. 

When  we  took  peacocks  to  Erromanga  they  were  a 
great  curiosity,  and  were  very  much  admired.  I  was 
sitting  on  the  verandah  one  day  when  a  number  of  half- 
heathen  were  strolling  round  for  the  sights.  One  of 
them,  who  "  knew  a  lot,"  was  showing  the  rest  the  "  lions  " 
of  the  place.  One  of  the  last  that  they  came  upon  was 
the  peacock,  strutting  about  in  all  his  bravery  and  fine 
feathers.  "  Can  you  tell  me  what  that  is  ? "  said  the 
gentleman  that  knew.  "  No  !  I  thought  not,  you  ignor- 
ant fellows.  Well,"  drawing  himself  up  with  a  look  of 
conscious  pride,  "/can  tell  you  ;  that  is  the  bull !" 

I  may  be  permitted  to  add  here  a  few  pages  on  some 
of  the  moral  aspects  of  the  native  character,  as  the  pro- 
duct of  heathenism. 

An  Erromangan  seldom,  if  ever,  shows  any  sign  of 
gratitude  by  look,  gesture  or  speech,  and  no  native 
from  one  end  of  the  group  to  the  other  has  the  slightest 
particle    of  permanent    gratitude       Gratitude   for    the 


382  ERROMANGA 

time  he  has,  but  it  is  short-lived.  An  Erromangan 
never  speaks  if  a  sign,  such  as  the  raising  of  the  eye- 
brows, will  convey  his  meaning.  Except  in  very  rare 
instances,  he  has  no  refinement  in  his  manner,  and 
will  pass  you  what  you  want  with  his  foot,  if,  indeed,  he 
will  trouble  himself  to  do  even  that ;  more  generally, 
he  will  point  in  the  direction  of  what  you  want  over 
his  shoulder  or  with  a  toss  of  the  head. 

He  has  no  respect  for  his  elders,  and  obeys  no  one, 
and  studies  no  one's  interest  but  his  own.  He  gives 
away  nothing  for  nothing ;  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a 
bond-fide  present.  There  is  also  no  forgiveness ;  an 
eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,  to  the  bitter 
end ;  forgiveness  is  weakness  in  his  eyes,  or  want  of 
power  to  avenge.  He  never  utters  a  word  when  very 
angry ;  so  long  as  he  speaks,  you  need  not  fear  him, 
but  as  soon  as  he  looks  down  and  seems  perfectly  re- 
gardless and  utters  not  a  word,  beware,  for  he  is  danger- 
ous now. 

Natives  walk  always  in  single  file,  no  matter  how 
broad  the  path  or  road.  They  follow  the  most  even 
ground  regardless  of  its  zig-zag  windmgs  or  how  much 
it  may  add  to  the  journey  or  distance.  Women  turn 
out  of  the  path  to  give  place  to  men,  and  even  to  small 
boys,  and  that,  too,  when  the  women  are  carrying 
heavy  loads,  and  the  men  or  boys  are  carrying  nothing. 
Their  food  is  prepared  as  it  must  have  been  by  their 
forefathers,  for  they  never  change.  No  one  will  tell 
you  his  own  name,  if  he  can  avoid  it.  They  all  have  a 
name,  and  then  some  other  name  to  distinguish  them 
from  other  persons  bearing  the  first  name ;  as,  John  the 
grandson  of  James.  They  are  distinguished  not  by  the 
father's  name,  but  the  mother's  father's,  not  by  the 
father's  father's.  A  mother  never  gives  the  name  to 
her  child,  but  this  is  always  done  by  the  father,  and 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  383 

the  child's  real  name  must  never  be  used  although  they 
all  know  what  its  name  is,  until  the  father  announces 
the  name;  otherwise,  the  child  would  become  sick  and 
die. 

They  are  imitators,  never  inventors.  One  man  makes 
his  canoe,  hut,  digging-stick,  bow  and  arrows,  club, 
fence,  plantation,  fishing-line,  mat,  basket  and  spear  in 
every  detail  exactly  like  every  other  man  before  his 
time.  They  follow  the  curve  line,  the  line  of  beauty, 
and  are  perfectly  incapable  of  doing  any  work  straight, 
the  laying  out  of  a  house,  for  instance. 

It  is  not  that  'hey  are  always  unwilling  to  do  a  thing 
straight,  I  think,  so  much  as  that  they  do  not  seem 
capable  of  doing  anything  straight.  In  other  words, 
there  seems  to  be  a  defect  in  them  in  these  matters. 
To  them  it  does  not  seem  crooked,  because  they  have 
never  done  anything  but  what  was  crooked.  Right- 
angles  they  never  by  any  chance  make ;  every  corner 
is  rounded  off.  True,  after  long  training,  a  girl,  say, 
may  be  made  to  lay  a  table-cloth  straight  or  square  on 
the  table,  but  she  does  it  parrot-like,  and  lays  the  plate, 
knife  and  fork  just  where  she  was  told,  but  her  ideas  of 
straight  and  crooked  undergo  no  change ;  straight  and 
crooked  are  one  and  the  same  to  her ;  for,  once  away 
from  that  special  work,  she  will  place  anything  else 
crooked,  if  possible.  To  her  straight  is  crooked  and 
crooked  is  straight. 

I  never  knew  any  native  to  place  a  pair  of  shoes 
together  with  the  right  shoe  on  the  right-hand  side  and 
the  left  shoe  on  the  left-hand  side.  Never!  Nor  have 
I  ever  seen  a  native  put  a  trunk  or  box  down  against  a 
wall  with  the  side  on  which  the  lock  was  to  the  front, 
but  always  it  was  hinges  out,  lock  in,  and  often  upside- 
down.     In  a  word,  if  there  is  a  possible  stupid  or  wrong 


334  ERROMANGA 

way  of  doing  a  thing,  that  is  almost  to  a  certainty  the 
way  a  native  will  do  it. 

You  cannot  give  general  instructions  to  a  native, 
leaving  details  to  his  common-sense  and  to  circum- 
stances ;  no ;  you  must  be  absolute,  and  say,  "  Do  this, 
don't  do  that;  it  is  right  to  do  this,  wrong  to  do  that," 
and  so  on ;  not  only  to  children^  but  to  adults,  both 
the  ignorant  and  those  well  instructed.  Unless  you 
mention  every  little  detail,  and  name  the  place  where  a 
thing  is  to  be  put,  you  are  sure  to  find  there  has  been 
bungling.     They  do  not  think,  do  not  compare. 

A  sin  is  a  sin,  but  it  is  being  found  out  that  generally 
hurts  a  man's  mind,  though  frequently  fear  of  sickness, 
or  sickness  to  his  child,  makes  him  confess  of  his  own 
accord.  Punishment  must  be  swift,  or  the  feelings  of 
the  righteous  will  lean  towards  the  offender. 

Truth,  in  heathenism,  was  told  only  when  it  suited 
best,  and  no  heathen  would  hesitate  to  tell  a  lie  if  it 
suited  his  immediate  purpose  better  than  the  truth ;  or, 
in  short,  he  never  told  the  truth  if  a  lie  suited  him 
better.  Indeed,  I  find  all  these  islanders  very  regardless 
— heathens  and  Christians — of  the  very  truth  most  sure. 
And  almost  any  departure  from  the  strict  truth  is  quite 
right,  if  thereby  danger  is  escaped,  or  what  appears 
danger.  The  end  justifies  the  means.  I  often  used  to 
say  to  the  young  men  who  acted  as  my  boat's  crew 
for  the  time,  when  they  told  the  heathen  on  the  shore, 
who  called  to  know  where  we  were  going  and  were  told 
we  were  going  to  some  place  when  we  had  no  intention 
of  going,  that  they  had  deceived  these  people.  Their 
reply  was :  "  Misi,  if  we  had  told  them  the  truth,  they 
would  know  where  we  were  going  and  perhaps  influence 
the  people  against  us".  Seldom  is  a  man  ever  in  the 
wrong ;  it  is  always  "  t'other  fellow  ".  I  never  yet 
could  bring  the  direct  statement  of  another  man  home 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  385 

to  any  native ;  he  always  wriggled  out  of  it,  and  I  am 
afraid  there  is  not  a  native  in  the  whole  group  I  would 
believe  on  his  own  statement  of  a  case  touching  himself. 
And  I  am  never  surprised  at  anything  any  man  may 
do,  or  anything  he  may  say,  any  day,  however  grieved 
I  may  be.  Of  course,  Christianity  is  doing  much  to 
change  the  fibre  of  the  native  character. 

It  is  not  that  natives  are  always  reckless  about  the 
truth  so  much  as  that  they  seem  utterly  incapable  of 
stating  anything  definitely,  or  stating  a  thing  just  as  it 
really  occurred.  Perhaps  this  is  largely  owing  to  the 
fact  that,  until  missionaries  went  among  them  and  taught 
them  the  arts  of  reading  ,and  writing,  a  statement  passed 
from  one  to  the  other  in  a  free  and  easy  conversational 
manner,  and  so  the  narrative  grew  as  it  passed  on  ;  and 
bits  were  dropped  out,  thoughtlessly,  it  may  be,  or 
perhaps  with  intent  sometimes,  and  so  in  this  careless, 
free  and  easy  way  the  narrative  was  partly  true  and 
partly  untrue.  All  natives  exaggerate  frightfully ;  they 
are  Orientalists.  An  ordinary  fowl  is  said  to  be,  in 
size,  a  large  turkey ;  a  pig  is  as  big  as  a  boat ;  a  small 
twig,  which  struck  a  man's  face,  he  says  was  a  huge 
branch  of  a  tree  ;  a  yam  he  grew  in  his  garden  was 
as  big  as  a  large  packing-case  ;  when  he  made  a  small 
hack  upon  his  hand  when  chipping,  he  cut  his  hand 
almost  off. 

In  the  same  way,  the  native  tales  show  that  there  were 
giants  in  other  days.  They  say  some  of  the  men  long 
ago  were  so  immensely  big  that,  when  one  of  these 
huge  giants  sat  down  in  the  public  square,  his  broad 
shoulders  quite  hid  all  the  ordinary  sized  men  who  were 
sitting  behind  him.  Not  a  native  of  this  island  but 
believes  this.  There  were  dwarfs,  also,  and  they  were 
so  small  that  they  could  move  along  in  the  grass,  attack, 
and  even  kill,  big  men  instantly,  as  the  grass  concealed 


386  ERROMANGA 

their  approach.  One  of  these  dwarfs  committed  so 
many  murders  among  the  people  that  they  resolved  to 
kill  him.  Kill  him  they  did,  again  and  again,  but  he 
always  became  ahve  again.  Then  they  killed  him  and 
hurled  him  over  a  high  precipice ;  but  he  immediately 
gathered  himself  together  and  rushed  right  up  the  rocks 
towards  them,  and  they  all  fled  in  terror.  They  next 
killed  him,  as  they  thought,  by  chopping  his  head  off, 
but  he  sprang  to  his  feet  instantly,  picked  up  his  head, 
and  stuck  it  on  again,  and  rushed  at  them,  scattering 
them  in  all  directions. 

Finally  they  killed  him,  made  mincemeat  of  him, 
worked  these  finely  cut  pieces  of  flesh  into  a  pudding,  and 
cooked  it  in  an  ordinary  oven  for  some  hours,  but  when 
they  opened  up  the  oven  their  pudding  was  raw  meat. 
Then  they  gathered  great  logs,  made  a  huge  fire  of  these 
and  heated  immense  stones ;  and,  digging  a  great  hole 
in  the  ground,  they  placed  these  hot  stones  in  the  hole, 
putting  their  finely  cut  dwarf-pudding  in  the  very  centre, 
and,  having  covered  all  in  with  leaves  and  earth,  they 
cooked  it  for  many  days.  This  killed  the  fellow ;  life 
was  now  gone,  but  the  pudding  was  so  tough  that  all 
their  combined  efforts  to  eat  it  were  vain  ;  so  they  threw 
it  down  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  were  never  after  troubled 
by  that  dwarf. 

When  a  native  offends  you  or  acts  wrongly  in  some 
way  or  another,  he  seldom  comes  to  you  to  apologise 
or  explain  matters;  he  rather  waits  for  you  to  speak 
to  him,  but  he  is  waiting,  and,  it  may  be,  is  desirous 
that  he  should  be  reproved.  He  may  bring  a  present 
of  food  (always  food)  to  you ;  that  is  his  apology.  An 
Erromangan  is  rarely  impudent  or  insolent  to  a  person's 
face — that  is,  to  a  white  person,  and  almost  never  to 
a  missionary  or  his  family — ^but  he  shows  anger  and 
his  ill-will  by  neglecting  his  work,  destroying  something, 


PHYSIQUE,  ETC.,  OF  THE  ERROMANGANS  i?.? 

disputing  with  servants  about  the  Mission  station  and 
driving  them  away,  by  leaving  church  and  school,  or 
going  away  from  the  district  or  to  Queensland  in  a 
labour  vessel. 

If  a  native  in  your  employ  should  feel  not  quite  well, 
he  will  just  go  to  his  hut  and  lie  down,  and,  whether 
his  duties  are  important  to  you  or  otherwise,  he  will 
never  think  of  sending  you  word  that  he  is  ill,  nor  will 
he  make  the  slightest  effort  to  procure  a  substitute. 
If  he  should  be  the  man  who  looks  after  the  cattle  and 
brings  the  milk,  the  inconvenience  is  most  annoying. 
If  he  should  continue  ill  for  a  week  or  month,  you  are 
expected  to  pay  the  man  who  performed  his  duties  all 
that  time,  and,  of  course,  pay  him  also  for  not  doing 
them! 

You  employ  a  native  at  so  much  per  day,  week,  month 
or  year  to  work  at  any  work  anywhere  you  tell  him, 
but  if  you  send  him  to  help  with  a  teacher's  house,  say, 
he  expects  the  teacher  to  pay  him  for  that  work,  while 
his  wages  are  going  on  with  you.  Or  you  send  your 
servant  away  for  some  firewood  in  your  boat  with  a 
few  men  you  have  employed  for  that  special  job  of 
work,  but  when  you  pay  them,  when  they  have  finished 
their  job,  he  expects  exactly  the  same  number  of  shil- 
lings each  one  of  those  men  gets,  while  he  is  being  paid 
for  his  whole  time.  But  traders  and  missionaries  are 
changing  all  this  nonsense  and  dishonesty,  and  it  is 
high  time.  A  native  is  hired,  say  for  £6  a  year,  his 
board  provided  also,  but  if,  during  the  year  he  should 
ask  for  cash  now  and  then,  to  the  amount  in  all  of  £2, 
and  you  give  him  £^  the  balance  due  him  when  his 
year  is  up,  he  will  ask  you  where  the  other  £2  of  wages 
are.  I  now  discourage  all  I  can  the  giving  of  any 
sum  till  his  year  is  up,  and  then  I  take  him  in  some 
evening,  put  down  on  the  table  £b  all  in  a  row,   as 


388  ERROMANGA 

straight  as  a  ramrod,  and  coming  down  on  each  silver 
pound  with  my  finger,  I  say  :  "  Si,  diiru,  desel,  inindevat, 
siikrim,  sukrim-inenki"  that  is  '  one,  two,  three,  four,  five, 
five  and  one,'  and  ask  him  to  rise  and  receive  his  wages 
and  thank  me.  He  does  so.  Then  I  say :  "  You  got 
five  shilHngs  on  such  a  day,  John  ?  " — "  Yes,"  he  answers. 
"  Well,"  I  say,  "  pay  it."  He  begins  putting  down, 
slowly  bu-t  willingly,  the  five  shillings.  Then  I  name 
the  next  payment,  reading  out  the  date  and  the  name 
of  the  article  he  mentioned  at  the  time,  for  which  he 
wanted  the  money  so  much.  He  smiles,  and  says : 
"  Koy  ehe !  *  Oh,  yes  ! ' "  And  so  it  goes  on  until  he  has  paid 
back  all  the  advances  he  had  got  during  the  year,  and, 
unless  these  take  a  very  large  proportion  of  his  whole 
wages  for  the  year,  he  is  perfectly  satisfied.  He  had  the 
satisfaction  of  handling  the  £6,  and  paying  in  detail 
his  petty  debts  from  his  salary! 

I  find  the  Christian  natives  of  Erromanga,  with  very 
few  exceptions,  remarkably  honest  in  money  matters,  and 
any  little  thing  I  have  procured  for  them  and  they  can- 
not, perhaps,  pay  for  it  at  the  time  of  delivery,  or  only  in 
part,  they  are  most  honest  in  remembering  it  and  paying 
for  it,  or  any  balance  which  may  have  remained,  even  to 
the  small  coin  of  threepence.  Remembering  what 
thieves  and  beggars  they  were  when  they  were  heathens, 
we  are  often  amazed  as  well  as  encouraged  and  de- 
lighted at  the  wonderful  change  that  has  come  over 
them  in  this,  one  of  the  highest  and  best  tests  of  a  good 
man. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA. 

The  natives  of  Erromanga  in  their  heathen  state  had 
no  special  god  or  gods,  if  we  except  the  great  Nobu, 
who  made  them  and  everything  on  the  earth  and  in 
the  water.  They  did  not  worship  this  Nobu,  at  least 
not  in  the  same  way  as  we  look  upon  worship ;  but 
they  venerated  the  spirits  of  their  departed  ancestors. 
All  these  spirits  were  evil,  and  roamed  the  earth  doing 
harm  to  men.  They  had  to  be  propitiated  by  offerings 
of  food,  which  were  placed  regularly  in  the  spots  which 
'  the  spirits,'  the  natemas,  frequented.  The  rats  in  those 
parts  lived  well,  and  the  people  were  easy  in  their  minds 
when  they  saw  that  their  presents  had  been  accepted 
by  the  troublesome  ghost-ancestors.  As  far  as  I  can 
make  out,  they  had  no  belief  in  a  future  state.  When  a 
man  died,  they  said,  "  Alo,  '  he  has  gone  away,' "  and 
become  an  evil  spirit  to  haunt  the  living. 

The  sun  and  the  moon,  especially  the  latter,  were 
sacred,  and  the  moon  is  symbolised  by  their  navilah 
or  sacred  stones.  These  navilah,  they  believe,  were  not 
made  by  human  hands ;  they  were  given  to  them  as 
heirlooms  by  their  forefathers,  who,  in  their  turn,  re- 
ceived them  from  the  spirits.  When  a  man  was  dying 
he  generally  sent  for  his  son,  or  nearest  male  relative, 
and  told  him  where  the  family  navilah  were  buried,^ 
for  the  ground  was  the  Bank  of  Deposit  where  these 
precious  relics  were  usually  stored.     Sometimes  he  died 

(389) 


390  ERROMANGA 

before  he  could  tell  this,  or  perhaps,  out  of  anger,  he 
preferred  to  be  silent,  and  thus  deprive  his  successor 
of  this  heritage.  Thus  these  stones  might  be  buried 
for  years  and  then  suddenly  be  found.  There  was  no 
risk  of  a  stone  not  being  recognised  by  the  family  to 
whom  it  belonged,  for  each  navilah  has  its  own  name 
and  history.  Some  bear  a  man's  name,  others  a 
woman's,  such  as  the  one  called  Nanepin-taru,  which 
had  been  handed  down  from  one  generation  to  another, 
and  at  last  came  into  my  possession.  When  we  first 
came  to  Erromanga,  I  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  any 
of  these ;  for  whenever  a  man  became  a  Christian 
he,  as  a  rule,  forfeited  his  claim  to  the  stone,  and  it  had 
to  be  passed  on  to  other  members  of  his  family.  And 
the  heathen,  of  course,  would  never  part  with  them. 
Now,  I  can  often  buy  them,  though,  in  nearly  every  case, 
I  am  given  to  understand  that  I  am  wonderfully  lucky 
in  securing  such  a  prize.  I  rather  fancy  there  is  a 
dodge  in  this ;  for  when  a  man  will  not  bring  the  stone 
in  daylight,  but  insists  on  slipping  round  at  night  with 
it  tied  up  in  a  lot  of  old  rags,  he  generally  expects  a 
big  return.  The  navilah  is  in  the  form  of  a  ring  or  of 
the  crescent  moon,  though  sometimes  almost  straight. 
They  are  of  all  sizes,  and  when  they  are  ring-shaped 
a  man  can  easily  ^  crawl  through  the  largest,  which  weigh 
from  forty  to  fifty  pounds  and  are  about  five  feet  in 
circumference.  They  were  also  given  as  purchase- 
money  for  wives,  and  often,  at  their  feasts,  a  chief  will 
present  another  with  a  navilah,  there  being  always  an 
exchange  of  the  compliment  at  the  return  feast. 

A  feast  or  nisekar  was  prepared  by  one  chief  in 
honour  of  another.  A  number  of  friends  of  the  invited 
chief  would  accompany  him,  and,  though  they  might 
not  be  at  all  friendly  with  the  host,  native  etiquette 
made   them   perfectly   safe,    for   they   came   under   the 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    391 

protection  of  the  guest.  For  many  months  before, 
yams  and  other  root-food  had  been  gathered  and  tied 
on  to  an  enormous  scaffolding  about  a  hundred  feet 
high.  As  the  time  of  the  nisekar  drew  near,  pigs  were 
placed  within  the  scaffold  enclosure,  and  fed  till  they 
were  just  rolling  in  fat ;  fresh  yams  and  fowls  also  were 
added.  The  nisekar  opened  with  a  sham  fight,  as  if  to 
gain  possession  of  the  food,  and,  though  the  parties 
fought  hard,  it  was  all  in  good  part.  Those  who  won 
became  the  owners  of  the  feast,  but  all  joined  in,  and 
the  whole  time  was  then  given  up  to  revelling.  Should 
the  fighting  get  too  hot,  or  if,  perhaps,  one  side,  re- 
membering an  old  grudge,  turned  in  dead  earnest  on  the 
other,  it  often  led  to  downright  war.  If  a  man  was 
wounded  in  the  sham  fight,  that  was  thought  nothing 
of ;  but  if,  for  some  reason  or  other,  his  friends  suspected 
treachery,  they  took  revenge  at  once,  and  if  the  man 
was  mortally  wounded  they  would  stop  at  nothing. 
Often,  in  a  case  like  this,  a  visiting  chief  and  his  people 
had  to  "  take  to  their  heels "  or  be  killed.  Singing, 
dancing  and  feasting  were  carried  on  for  days  and 
weeks,  both  men  and  women  taking  part.  All  were 
painted.  At  these  nisekar  there  was  great  bartering  of 
wives,  and  much  mischief,  often  murder,  was  plotted.  A 
whole  season  was  given  up  to  feasting,  and  the  people 
went  from  one  chief's  place  to  another,  and  had  a 
thorough  round  of  festivities. 

Chieftainship  is  hereditary.  A  man  cannot  attain  to 
this  rank  by  any  feat  of  bravery,  nor  can  he  be  elected. 
The  chiefs  are  called  i\\Q fan-Id,  'great  men'.  A  nefori, 
*  snatcher,'  is  an  under-chief  who  has  vanquished  a  higher 
one  in  war,  and  who  then  "  snatches  "  his  power  and 
rights.  '  A  chief,'  naiemenok,  is  always  a  chief,  even  if 
he  has  not  a  single  follower.  The  chief  Tangkau,  at 
one  time,  had  only  one  subject — his  wife.     Chiefs  had 


392  ERROMANGA 

a  great  deal  of  influence  over  their  people,  but  mostly 
this  influence  was  used  only  for  evil.  I  could  never 
settle  a  teacher  in  any  village  without  the  consent  of 
the  chief.  When  this  was  given,  and  his  protection 
promised,  we  felt  that,  as  far  as  the  chief  was  concerned, 
the  teacher  was  safe,  and  would  be  well  treated. 

War  between  tribes  generally  arose  from  woman- 
stealing  or  disputes  about  land,  though  it  was  often 
brought  on  by  simpler  causes.  When  a  natemenok 
decided  to  go  to  war  with  another,  he  challenged  him 
by  sending  some  people  to  burn  a  house,  cut  down 
banana  trees,  or  shoot  arrows  into  the  premises  belong- 
ing to  him.  These  insults  at  once  led  to  battle.  The 
attacking  party  would,  if  possible,  take  possession  of  a 
height,  and  rain  down  their  arrows  and  missiles  on  the 
village  below.  If  the  villagers  had  been  warned  before- 
hand, great  stockades  were  built  round  their  houses,  and 
with  this  protection  they  were  often  successful  in  driving 
off  the  enemy.  If  the  fighting  was  in  the  open  and  a 
chief  killed,  his  people  were  allowed  to  carry  off  the 
body  and  waiP  over  it.  Both  parties  drew  off  for  a 
little,  and,  when  the  mourning  was  over,  started  again  to 
fight  as  hotly  as  ever.  These  wars,  or  rather  successions 
of  wars  often  kept  on  for  many  months,  the  contending 
parties  going  back  to  work  in  their  plantations  every 
now  and  again.  Tribe  after  tribe  would  join  in,  until 
sometimes  the  whole  half  of  the  island  was  drawn  into 
war,  and  perhaps  this  state  of  things  continued  for 
years.  People  from  one  tribe  durst  not  visit  another; 
and  so,  in  1889,  when  I  was  proceeding  round  the  island, 
I  found  that  some  old  men  wanted  to  go  with  me,  for 
they  had  never  seen  some  of  the  districts  that  I  was  going 
to  visit.  Very  few  people  were  killed  in  war,  though 
many  were  wounded ;  few  were  made  prisoners,  the  men 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    393 

being  generally  killed  outright,  though  sometimes  taken 
alive  and  fed  up  for  cannibal  feasts. 

My  own  opinion  is,,  that,  though  the  Erromangans 
practised  cannibalism,  they  were  not  much  given  to  it. 
The  last  case  on  the  island  occurred  about  twenty-five 
years  ago.  It  is  a  thing  that  the  old  people  seem 
ashamed  even  to  mention,  though  some  have  confessed 
that  human  flesh,  nelat,  was  very  good.  They  did 
not  often  kill  merely  for  the  sake  of  eating,  but  when 
prisoners  were  taken  they  killed  them  for  this  purpose. 
The  chief  of  an  opposing  party,  if  killed,  was  rarely 
eaten,  but,  as  I  have  just  said,  his  body  was  carried  off 
the  field.  Infants  who  were  not  wanted  to  live  were 
knocked  on  the  head  and  eaten.  There  must  have 
been,  from  all  accounts,  many  white  men  who  were 
eaten  on  Erromanga,  and  we  know  for  a  fact  that 
the  bodies  of  Williams  and  Harris  met  with  this  fate. 
The  subject  is  so  repulsive  that  I  have  rarely  spoken  of 
it  to  my  people,  and  it  is  pleasing  to  see  that  the  young 
generation  have,  as  dear  Yomot  prophesied,  forgotten 
or  are  in  ignorance  of  these  shocking  deeds  of 
heathenism. 

Nehave,  that  is,  the  kava  liquor,  was  regularly  drunk 
every  evening  by  the  men.  The  kava  plant  {piper 
methysticiini)  is  a  little  shrub  about  four  feet  high,  be- 
longing to  the  pepper  family,  with  a  large,  round  leaf 
about  the  size  of  a  man's  hand.  The  root  of  this  was 
chewed  by  boys  *  until  it  was  like  a  piece  of  rope.  It 
was  then  laid  in  a  wooden  vessel,  water  was  poured  in, 
and  the  mixture  strained  through  the  fibre  or  nougat 
of  the  cocoanut  tree ;  the  liquid  was  served  in  cocoanut 
shells.  No  woman  would  ever  come  near  the  siman-ld 
during  the  making  or  drinking  of  the  kava,  and  no  boys 
were  allowed  to  drink  it.  It  has  a  bitter,  astringent 
taste,  and  is,  of  course,  a  narcotic.     Almost  as  soon  as 


394  ERROMANGA 

it  is  drunk,  it  takes  effect ;  the  man  becomes  sleepy  and 
stupefied  at  once.  We  have  often  passed  a  siman-lo 
where  it  was  being  made,  and  have  come  back  in  about 
half  an  hour  to  find  the  drinkers  lying  here  and  there 
sleeping  off  its  effects.  It  seems  to  make  them  stupidly 
good-natured,  and  they  have  often  granted  us  any 
favour  just  after  they  have  been  drinking.  Some  of 
the  old  heathen  still  indulge  in  its  use,  though  it  has, 
of  course,  been  quite  given  up  by  all  Christians.  Some 
years  ago,  when  visiting  different  villages,  a  number  of 
heathen  and  semi-heathen  were  often  with  us.  When 
the  usual  evening  hour  for  the  kava-drinking  came,  they 
seemed  really  miserable  without  it,  and  would  often  slip 
away,  one  by  one,  to  any  heathen  premises  that  might 
be  near,  to  get  a  share  of  the  bowl  that  was  made  there. 
It  was  never  taken  at  any  other  time  of  the  day  but  in 
the  evening. 

When  a  male  child  of  a  chief  was  born,  kava  was 
gathered,  and  that  evening  prepared  and  drunk  by  the 
father  and  his  friends.  When  this  was  over,  one  of  the 
number  would  ask  the  father  what  the  name  of  his 
child  was  to  be,  and,  on  being  told,  they  would  call  out 
the  name  so  that  all  around  could  hear.  There  was 
no  other  ceremony  than  this  at  the  naming  of  the  child. 
A  friend,  who  was  a  chief,  might  sometimes  take  the 
place  of  the  father  and  give  the  name,  but  a  servant  or 
one  of  the  people  could  not  do  so.  A  child  was,  and 
is  still,  always  named  after  one  of  the  father's  relations, 
never  after  any  of  its  mother's  people,  although  actually 
the  surname  or  distinguishing  title  is  from  the  mother's 
side.  For  instance,  besides  his  own  name  a  child  is 
always  called  "  the  grandchild,  ' ohopon*  of  so-and-so,  " * 
naming  the  mother's  father  ;  and  however  many  brothers 
and  sisters  he  may  have,  if  they  have  all  the  same  mother 
they  have  all  the  same  surname.     When  a  man  had  a 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    395 

number  of  wives,  two  or  three  of  his  children   might 
have  the  same  name,  but  each  would  be  distinguished 
by  the  name  of  his  maternal  grandfather.     The  male 
child  of  a  chief  was,  in  heathenism,  not  shown  to  the 
public  until  he  had  eaten  food,  and  then  this  wonderful 
feat  was  publicly  announced  by  the  blowing  of  a  shell. 
A  female  child  was  well  cared  for,  though  counted  as 
of  far  less  importance,  and  was  not  kept  out  of  sight 
like  the  male  child.       Sometimes,   if  there   had  been 
several   female   children   born   and   no   males,   the   last 
born  was  killed  at  once,  both  parents  being  party  to 
the  deed,  and  no  one   thought   of  interfering.       The 
child  was  theirs  to  do  with  as  they  pleased!     But  the 
infanticide  of  abortion  was  usually  brought  about  by  the 
mother  drinking  the  milk  of  the  young  cocoanut,  much 
heated.     Deformed  and  sickly  children  were  treated  as 
kindly  as  healthy  ones;    for  even  in  heathenism  the 
Erromangans   were   remarkably   kind   and   indulgent — 
too  much  so — to   their  children.        Children  were   not 
taught  any  useful  habits ;  they  grew  up  in  utter  idleness, 
and  uncared  for,  except  that  they  got  plenty  of  food. 
Their  bodies  were  seldom  if  ever  washed,  their  going 
into  the  water  being  simply  for  fun  and  to  learn  to 
swim,  but  not  to  rid  themselves  of  dirt.     With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  inland  people,  the  Erromangans,  like  most 
of  the  islanders,  are  fine  swimmers,  and  seem  to  take 
to  the  water  like  fish.     After  a  big  sea  they  will  play 
in  the  surf  for  hours ;    some  of  them,  holding  on   to 
planks,*  will  roll  in  on  the  biggest  waves,  thoroughly 
enjoying  the  excitement  of  it  all. 

A  girl  was  betrothed  very  young,  but  was  not  at  once 
taken  to  her  future  husband's  home,  she  lived  with  his 
mother  or  sister,  and  sometimes  with  her  own  friends, 
though  this  latter  arrangement  was  not  common,  for  fear 
of   her   being   stolen   or   kept   back   from   her   rightful 


396  ERROMANGA 

owner.  The  girl's  father  and  his  friends  arranged  the 
match,  but,  according  to  their  etiquette,  the  friends,  not 
the  father,  made  the  first  move ;  for  he  was  supposed 
to  be  narumprum,  '  ashamed,'  to  take  much  part  in  the 
matter.  His  wishes  were  first  consulted,  and  then  the 
negotiations  were  left  in  the  hands  of  his  friends.  The 
girl  herself  was  never  so  much  as  spoken  to  on  the 
subject,  though  her  mother  was  told  of  it.  When  the 
time  came  for  her  to  be  claimed,  the  mother  would,  on 
some  night  agreed  upon,  arrange  to  sleep  with  her 
daughter.  The  chosen  man,  accompanied  by  his  friends, 
arrived,  and  placed  a  star-club  and  charms  beside  the 
sleeping  girl.  No  sooner  were  they  gone,  than  the 
mother  and  father  would  wake  her,  and  tell  her  that  her 
husband  had  come  for  her.  If  she  happened  to  know 
him  and  perhaps  disliked  him,  on  account  of  age,  for 
instance,  and  began  to  cry,  she  was  told  to  be  quiet ; 
what  had  that  to  do  with  it  .-*  the  man  was  her  husband, 
and  that  settled  it.  Her  mother  then  dressed  her  in 
long  skirts  with  trains — the  marriage  dress — and  she 
was  at  once  sent  off  with  her  husband ;  if  very  young, 
to  be  taken  to  live  with  his  mother  or  nearest  female 
relative.  The  payment  for  the  girl — made  in  star-clubs, 
navilah,  food,  etc. — often  extends  over  years,  and,  for  a 
long  time  after  he  is  married,  the  husband  is  Httle  else 
than  a  drudge  to  his  wife's  male  relatives.  In  heathen- 
ism, marriage  was  frequently  effected  by  capture.  Girls 
were  often  exchanged,  though  both  parties  paid  as  well ; 
and  when  a  girl  was  given  by  one  tribe,  the  people  who 
got  her  were  expected  to  give  in  return  to  her  village 
their  first  marriageable  girl.  Since  our  Erromangans 
have  become  Christians,  a  woman  may,  and  often  does, 
have  her  own  say  as  to  marriage,  and  may  decline  abso- 
lutely the  husband  who  has  been  chosen  for  her,  and 
will  not  marry  until  she  can  marry  the  man  she  chooses 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    397 

herself.     In  the  Dillon's  Bay  village  we  have  an  "  old 
maid  " — an  unheard-of  personage  in  heathen  days.   This 
girl  (for  she  looks  quite  young,  though  we  know  her  age) 
has  refused  a  number  of  eligible  offers ;   it  is  said  that 
she  did  not  get  the  man  she  wanted  and  who  wanted 
her,  years  ago,  and  so  prefers  "  single  blessedness  "  to 
having  any  other  man.    In  heathen  days,  she  would  have 
been  forced  to  marry  at  least  twenty  years  ago.    Cousins 
do  not  marry ;   to  do  so  would  be  a  great  disgrace,  for 
they  are  not  called  cousins  as  with  us  but  brothers  and 
sisters.     A  chief  had  from  two  to  ten  wives,  but  com- 
monly not  more  than  three  or  four.     The  wives  were 
generally  a  great  deal  younger  than  he  was ;   he  might 
be  about  fifty  or  sixty,  and  their  ages  range  from  four- 
teen to  forty  years.     There  was  always  one,  the  oldest, 
who  was  called  his  "  wife,"  '  retepon  ' ;    the  others  were 
merely  his  ovasiven,  '  women,'  or  noete,  '  property  '.     The 
women  did  all  of  the  hard  plantation  work,  but,  on  the 
whole,  were  well  treated  by  their  husbands.     When  a 
cliief  died,  all  his  wives  could  be  claimed  by  his  brother, 
though  they  were  often  passed  on   to  other  relatives. 
They  were  supposed  to  mourn  for  three  or  four  months ; 
the  widow  of  an  ordinary  man  mourned  for  forty  days. 
During  all  this  time  they  were  not   allowed   to   leave 
their  premises,  but  had  food  brought  to  them  by  their 
friends. 

After  a  great  chief  had  been  buried,  nahur  or  mourn- 
ing began,  and  was  continued  for  several  weeks.  Be- 
sides the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  deceased  man, 
professional  and  paid  mourners''' — old  women — gathered 
in.  Day  after  day  pigs  and  fowls  were  killed,  and  great 
ovens  of  food  prepared  and  eaten.  This  was  to  do 
honour  to  the  dead,  to  show  what  a  great  man  he  had 
been.  Many  of  the  mourners  assembled  before  he  died, 
and  the  dying  man  often   gave  directions  as   to   how 


398  ERROMANGA 

the  ceremony  was  to  be  gone  through,  and  would  feel 
distressed,  '  nanimpruinl  if  his  death  was  long  in  coming, 
fearing  that  his  friends  would  be  tired  of  waiting  for  it. 
The  weird  death-wail  was  carried  on  nearly  the  whole 
of  this  time ;  for,  even  when  the  real  mourners  stopped 
now  and  again,  there  was  still  heard  the  crooning  of  an 
old  white-headed  and  blackened  "  professional  ".  Long 
poles  were  roughly  sunk  in  the  ground,  and  brought 
together  in  a  circle,  often  round  a  tree,  and  inside  of  this 
was  thrown  all  the  rubbish  of  old  food  from  the  feast — • 
for  the  gathering  really  was  a  funeral  feast.^  Such  was 
the  nahur ;  it  was  a  sort  of  an  ornament  to  the  memory 
of  the  dead  man,  whose  spirit  was  then  supposed  to  dwell 
there.  It  was  never  pulled  down.  All  over  the  island 
we  come  upon  these  old  nahur  grounds.  During  the 
last  week  or  so  of  the  mourning,  a  great  hole  was  dug  in 
the  earth,  a  fire  kindled  in  it,  and  pigs  and  dogs  were 
killed  and  thrown  in,  with  food  on  top  of  all.  The 
wives  of  the  dead  chief  all  sat  round  this  hole,  wailing, 
and  wearing  their  garb  of  widowhood — very  short 
skirts  and  necklaces  made  of  small  black  shells.  If  the 
brother  or  other  male  relative  of  the  deceased  husband 
now  wanted  to  claim  one  or  all  of  them,  he  walked  up 
to  the  circle,  lifted  from  their  necks  the  mourning  neck- 
laces and  threw  them  in  the  hole  where  the  rubbish  was 
burning.  The  women  then  belonged  to  him,  and,  as 
they  were  no  longer  widows,  their  wailing  ceased,  and 
they  at  once  followed  their  new  owner.  If  a  married 
woman  died,  her  husband  was  only  expected  to  mourn 
for  about  a  week — the  mourning  consisting  of  merely 
sitting  still. 

People  were  buried  either  in  caves  or  in  the  ground, 
the  earth  being  hollowed  out  to  a  depth  of  a  few  feet. 
A  filled-up  grave  was  not  in  the  shape  of  a  mound, 
but  was  recognised  rather  by  a  depression  of  the  soil 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    399 

The  grave  of  a  great  chief  was  not  covered  in ;  the  man 
was  laid  on  his  back  with  a  layer  of  cocoanut  leaves 
upon  him,  and  was  supposed  to  "  keep  an  eye  "  on  all 
that  was  going  on  around  him.  Bodies  are  always  pre- 
pared for  burial  by  being  tied  up  in  cocoanut  leaf  mats. 
There  was  a  case,  soon  after  we  came  here,  of  a  man 
at  Nugkon-nu,  near  Cook's  Bay,  who  fell  into  a  trance, 
but  as  his  friends  thought  he  was  dead  they  proposed  to 
bury  him.  So  they  wrapped  him  in  plaited  leaves,  and 
a  great  wailing  went  on  for  some  time.  They  had  to 
carry  the  man  some  distance  to  the  grave ;  this  they  did, 
and,  as  they  thought,  put  him  safely  under  ground. 
He  had  been  semi-conscious  while  being  carried,  but 
could  not  move,  nor  could  he  call  out ;  but  as  soon  as 
the  earth  had  been  lightly  thrown  on  top  of  him  he 
recovered,  and  found  himself  very  neatly  done  up  in 
the  "  shroud  ".  As  he  was  naturally  anxious  to  get  out 
of  it  and  was  very  lightly  covered  with  earth,  it  was 
an  easy  matter  to  extricate  himself  again.  The  shock 
of  burial  must  have  given  him  new  strength ;  at  any  rate, 
he  was  able  to  walk  back  to  the  village,  and  the  con- 
sternation of  the  people  can  be  imagined  when  they 
saw  the  friend,  whom  they  had  carefully  buried  an  hour 
or  so  before,  strolling  back  to  his  house.  In  heathenism, 
the  poor  fellow  would  have  been  killed  as  being  "pos- 
sessed ". 

Usually  a  person  is  prepared  for  his  burial  before 
death.  When  a  man  sends  to  his  house  for  his  best 
clothes  we  know  what  that  means,  and,  strange  to  say, 
even  if  he  is  not  so  very  ill,  if  he  once  makes  up  his 
mind  to  die,  die  he  will.  During  sickness  the  Erro- 
mangans  are  well  cared  for  by  their  friends,  and  this 
was  true  of  them  as  heathen  also,  though  it  is  often 
in  the  little  attentions  that  they  are  sadly-  lacking ; 
perhaps  they  leave  a  dying  man  for  hours  without  once 


400  ERROMANGA 

wetting  his  lips  with  water,  not  because  they  want  to 
neglect  him  but  because  he  has  not  asked  for  it!  Just 
at  the  last,  they  will  make  all  kinds  of  savoury  dishes, 
which  the  poor  man  cannot  eat.  Just  before  the  end, 
perhaps,  he  will  take  a  longing  for  sugar-cane,  and  this 
is  generally  the  last  nourishment  a  sick  person  takes. 
Some  of  our  people,  however,  are  exceptionally  kind  to 
their  friends  when  they  are  ill.  There  are  women  who  will 
care  for  their  dying  husbands  with  every  tender  atten- 
tion, sitting  hour  after  hour  fanning  them,  and  doing 
all  in  their  power  to  make  their  last  moments  peaceful. 
Our  natives  have  no  fear  of  death,  or,  if  they  have,  they 
never  show  it.  As  Christians,  they  trust  in  their  Saviour 
with  a  simple,  childlike  faitli. 

In  heathenism  no  death  was  put  down  to  natural 
causes  ;  it  was  all  the  work  of  natemas-ivai,  '  witchcraft '. 
If  a  man  wanted  to  cause  the  illness  or  death  of  another, 
the  neterm  sokowar,  '  sacred  man,'  was  consulted  If  the 
man  could  take  him  a  piece  of  sugar-cane  that  the  other 
had  been  chewing  and  had  thrown  away,  or  anything 
belonging  to  him,®  such  as  some  of  his  hair,  all  the 
better.  Sugar-cane  seemed  specially  good  in  helping 
witchcraft,  and  if  a  man's  enemy  managed  to  get  a 
piece  that  he  had  been  eating  he  counted  himself  very 
fortunate.  For  this  reason,  a  person  never  threw  away, 
if  he  could  help  it,  anything  that  he  had  been  eating, 
but  was  careful  to  burn  it.  The  sorcerer  mixed  the 
sugar-cane  with  mud  and  certain  leaves,  and,  mumbling 
some  incantation  over  it,  doomed  the  owner  to  severe 
illness  or  death.  Very  often  the  man  did  take  ill  and  die 
• — from  fright,  having  heard  of  the  "  evil  influence  "  over 
him.  The  neteine  sokowar  was  well  paid  for  his  services. 
Sometimes  the  bewitched  man  could  persuade  him  to 
remove  his  curse ;  this  was  an  expensive  operation,  and 
always  required  big  pay.     There  were  many  of  these 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    401 

sorcerers  all  over  the  island ;  they  lived  apart  from  their 
tribes,  and  were  generally  deformed  or  maimed  of  a 
limb.  Novwai,  the  sorcerer,  was  the  one  consulted  by 
the  Dillon's  Bay  people,  and  he  lived  along  the  coast 
at  Raumpong ;  he  had  one  eye  out.  On  his  becoming  a 
Christian,  the  name  of  Simon  was  given  him.  Owing  to 
their  big  fees  the  sacred  men  were  able  to  live  well, 
and,  besides  these  fees,  presents  of  food  were  constantly 
given  in  order  to  obtain  their  favour.  They  were  both 
feared  and  hated  by  the  people  around. 

Wind  and  rain-makers  were  also  sacred  men.  If  a 
canoe  was  going  to  Tanna  or  Aniwa,  the  people  waited 
till  the  wind-man  gave  them  favourable  weather.  Of 
course,  the  first  good  wind  that  came  was  his  wind, 
though  it  was  often,  "  owing  to  their  miserable  pay," 
late  in  coming.  There  were  also  storm  and  drought- 
makers.  The  thunder-makers  lived  in  the  Dillon's  Bay 
district.  Yams  were  never  eaten  till  pronounced  good 
by  a  sacred  man.  The  netevie  sokoivar  believed  fully 
in  his  own  powers.  In  the  beginning  of  1879,  3-  strong 
westerly  gale  brought  a  big  sea  into  Dillon's  Bay,  and 
the  bar  of  the  river  was  completely  blocked.  I  kept  a 
number  of  men  working  for  three  days  to  clear  the 
passages.  Noye  was  one  of  them,  and  laughingly  told 
me  that  there  was  an  old  rain-maker  at  Unepang  who 
was  saying,  "  Why  are  Misi  and  the  men  going  to  all 
that  work.?  I  am  going  to  make  a  big  rain  that  will 
take  all  that  spit  away."  The  rainy  season  was  just 
about  over,  but  on  the  ist  of  April  the  rain  began  and 
poured  down  for  about  four  days  with  scarcely  a 
break.  The  river  rose  to  such  a  height  that  canoes 
were  carried  out  to  sea.  The  bar  that  had  been  block- 
ing the  river  was  completely  swept  away,  and  the  pas- 
sage was  as  clear  as  we  could  have  wished.  It  was  no 
use   to   insist   that   the   old   Unepang  rain-maker  had 


402  ERROMANGA 

nothing  to  do  with  this ;  even  some  of  our  professing 
Christians,  I  am  sure,  believed  that  it  was  his  work. 
For  they  ding  to  their  old  superstitions  and  find  it  hard 
to  give  them  up.  I  never  saw  anything  fit  in  so  well 
as  that  rain  did. 

The  sacred  men  also  acted  as  doctors.  Their  remedies 
were  often  good,  but  they  had  many  "  charms "  which 
were  supposed  to  help  in  the  work  of  curing,  and  it 
was  these  that  were  thought  most  of.  Among  some  of 
their  cures  were  poultices  made  from  leaves,  poultices  of 
decayed  wood,  drinks  made  from  heated  nesi  or  '  papaw 
apple,'  and  other  fruits,  and  the  "  baking  cure,"  which  is 
used  in  cases  of  fever  and  weakness.  An  oven  is  made 
in  the  ground,  and  after  it  is  thoroughly  heated  in  the 
usual  way,  by  hot  stones,  these  are  removed,  and  the 
patient  is  laid  in  the  hole  on  leaves.  The  hot  earth 
is  then  filled  in  over  him,  all  the  body,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  head,  being  completely  covered.  He  is 
"  steamed "  for  half  an  hour  or  an  hour,  as  may  be 
necessary,  and  is  taken  from  the  oven  when  he  has 
thoroughly  perspired.  Also  bleeding  is  practised  a 
great  deal. 

A  native  will  nearly  always  speak  of  things  with 
exaggeration.  A  man  may  be  preaching  to  half  a  dozen 
people,  but  he  will  address  them  as  this  niisian  netevo- 
kontu,  '  a  great  gathering  of  hearers '.  Speaking  to  them, 
he  will  say :  "  All  you  chiefs  here,  old  men,  young  men, 
children  and  women  " — the  women  always  last.  If  you 
ask  a  man  :  "  Where  is  so-and-so  ?  "  you  will  be  answered, 
not  in  the  singular,  but  in  the  complimentary  plural,^" 
"They  are  here".  Proper  names  are  often  distinguish- 
ing, such  as  Nompwot  Navilar^  the  'red  Nompwot,' 
Nompwot  Nesebo,  the  'white  Nompwot,'  Nari  Tantop^ 
*  tall  Nari,'  N.  Vagkau, '  N.  the  crooked  '}'^  A  young  man 
in  Dillon's  Bay  was  often  called  Wav-in-dowi,  '  a  rat  for 


THE  HEATHENISM  OF  ERROMANGA    403 

ever'.  As  a  child,  he  had  been  a  long  time  creeping 
before  he  learnt  to  walk.  Wap  is  a  term  of  endearment, 
and  is  used  to  a  child.  Itemen  is  the  word  for  "  father," 
"  his  father,"  "  the  father,"  and  dineme,  in  the  same  way, 
for  "  mother " ;  but  nate  stands  for  "  my  father,"  and 
name  or  namo  "  my  mother,"  and  in  speaking  to  and 
of  parents  these  are  the  terms  used.  Some  years  ago 
the  natives  were  evidently  so  charmed  with  the  English 
"  Papa "  and  "  Mamma "  that  they  took  to  teaching 
their  children  to  call  them  that  One  day  I  was  doing 
some  work  on  the  roof  of  the  church,  and  heard  a  plain- 
tive little  voice  calling,  "  Papa,  papa !  "  Without  look- 
ing, I  said,  "  Yes,  dear ;  I'll  be  down  in  a  moment ".  I 
was  rather  taken  aback  when,  after  getting  down  the 
ladder,  I  found  a  little  black  urchin  waiting  for  its 
papa !  We  made  our  children  call  us  "  Father  "  cind 
"  Mother  "  after  that.  A  native  calls  his  father's  brother 
his  "  father  "  and  his  mother's  sister  his  "  mother,"  while 
his  father's  sister  is  only  his  "  aunt "  and  his  mother's 
brother  his  "  uncle  ".  The  children  of  his  father's  brother 
and  his  mother's  sister  are  nearer  relations  than  those 
of  his  father's  sister  and  his  mother's  brother.  The 
former  are  his  "  brothers "  and  "  sisters,"  while  the 
latter  are  merely  "  cousins  ".  Often  an  old  man  will  be 
called  nate  and  an  old  woman  name,  out  of  love  or 
respect.  Relationships  are  sometimes  most  confusing. 
A  man  will  introduce  another  to  you  as  his  "  brother  ". 
"  Your  real '  brother '  ?  "  you  will  ask.  "  Oh,  yes  ;  my  real 
brother  "  {avugsai  itnesog).  "  The  same  father  ? "  "  No  ; 
not  the  same  father."  "  The  same  mother,  then  ?  "  "  Oh, 
no ;  not  the  same  mother."  "  Well,  were  your  father 
and  his  father  brothers  ? "  "  No  ;  he  is  avugsai  pela^ 
'  my  brother,  but  a  distant  one '."  If  by  this  time  you 
are  not  too  hopelessly  confused,  you  will  probably  find 
out  after  a  little  that,  as  children,  they  lived  and  played 


404  ERROMANGA 

together  in  the  same  village.  And  that  is  how  they  have 
become  brothers. 

To  call  a  man  your  father,  naie,  your  brother,  avugsai, 
or  your  son,  ?tetug,  is  the  greatest  token  of  your  love  or 
respect. 

It  was  amusing  one  day  to  hear  our  little  Lilian,  then 
about  six  years  old,  and  her  little  playmate,  Uluhoi, 
saying  good-bye  to  each  other.  They  held  each  other's 
hands,  and  looked  into  each  other's  eyes,  then  Uluhoi 
said,  "Ah,  Lilian!"  "Ah,  Uluhoi!"  she  rephed.  He 
wrung  her  hand  again  and  said,  "Ah,  Lilian  pau  sorug, 
kemampe !  'Ah,  my  dear  Lilian,  you  are  going  away!'" 
And  the  little  thing  answered,  "  lowe  !  Uluhoi  pau  !  mori 
kos,  avugsai  pau,  netni  nate  ivi  nate  inohopoji  itais  iin 
uyo  sorug  I  '  Oh,  woe  is  me  !  my  dear  Uluhoi  I  we  have 
grown  up  together,  my  brother,  the  child  of  my  father 
and  mother  and  the  grandchild  of  my  grandfather  and 
grandmotherl '" 


CHAPTER  XX. 

OUR    VISIT   TO    CANADA.— STATISTICS    OF    THE    NEW 
HEBRIDES  TRADE. 

Our  visit  to  Canada  ^  was  in  every  way  a  very  delightful 
one.  Friends  there  took  such  a  real  interest  in  Erro- 
manga,  and  we  felt  that  our  meeting  them  again  after 
an  absence  of  nearly  twelve  years  did  much  to  deepen 
that  interest ;  for  we  were  able  to  tell  them  of  our 
work,  and  how  God  has  so  blessed  this  once  dark  island. 
We  had  arrived  in  Sydney  from  Erromanga  on  the  ist 
of  January,  1883,  and  reached  London  in  the  following 
March.  We  spent  altogether  two  months  in  England 
and  Scotland,  and  in  Glasgow  were  the  guests  of  our 
warm  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  Barnett.  While  in  Scot- 
land I  heard  of  the  death  of  my  father.  Just  before 
leaving  Erromanga,  Mrs.  Robertson,  too,  had  had  the 
same  sad  tidings,  the  death  of  her  father.  The  double 
blow  seemed  specially  hard,  as  we  had  been  looking 
forward  to  our  meeting,  and  expecting  to  see  them  so 
soon  again. 

In  the  Hibernian  from  Liverpool  to  Halifax  we  had 
very  bad  weather.  Off  Newfoundland  several  icebergs 
were  sighted,  and  the  ship  had  a  very  narrow  escape 
from  one  of  them.  About  thirteen  miles  from  Halifax 
harbour,  we  were  caught  in  a  dense  fog,  and  for  about 
twelve  hours  made  almost  no  progress.  I  was  in  my 
cabin,  laid  down  with  an  attack  of  fever ;  and  when 
every  one  was  thinking   that  we  were  not  to  get  in 

(405) 


4o6  ERROMANGA 

till  the  next  day,  it  was  delightful  to  hear,  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  that  the  pilot  had  come  on 
board.     Two  hours  later  we  were  alongside  the  dock. 

The  very  first  person  to  welcome  us  home  was  Mrs. 
BurnSi  wife  of  Dr.  Burns  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia ;  she 
was  president  of  the  Women's  Foreign  Mission  Society. 
Very  soon  after  her  came  the  Misses  M'Culloch,  of 
Truro,  Mrs.  Robertson's  close  friends — indeed,  relations. 
Mrs.  Burns  very  kindly  invited  us  all  to  her  house,  but 
we  told  her  that  we  had  already  arranged  to  stay  at 
the  Halifax  Hotel.  "  Well,  it  shall  not  cost  you  any- 
thing," she  replied.  Not  only  was  our  board  there  paid 
by  the  generous  members  of  the  Foreign  Mission 
Society,  but  we  were  not  allowed  to  pay  for  anything 
while  in  Halifax.  When  I  went  to  pay  our  cabmen,  I 
found  that  they  had  been  paid  beforehand.  I  had  been 
"  done  "  this  way  once  or  twice  by  Dr.  Burns ;  so  the 
next  time  I  made  the  man  promise  that  he  would 
take  no  money  from  him.  Unfortunately,  Dr.  Burns 
got  hold  of  him  soon  after,  and  made  him  promise  to 
take  none  from  me.  So  I  had  just  to  give  the  thing 
up  as  hopeless.  When  I  went  to  take  our  railway  tickets, 
the  day  we  left  Halifax,  the  clerk  handed  them  to  me 
in  an  envelope.  Somebody  had  already  bought  them. 
Certainly  the  generous  Halifax  friends  were  determined 
to  give  us  every  chance  to  save  money. 

On  the  first  night  after  our  arrival,  we  were  at  a 
hearty  "  welcome "  meeting  given  by  the  Women's 
Foreign  Mission  Society.  A  number  of  ministers  were 
present,  and  among  them  the  Rev.  Robert  Murray,  a 
warm  friend.  How  kind  every  one  was!  It  was  good 
to  have  been  away  to  get  their  kind  and  loving  welcome, 
and  to  see  the  deep  and  sincere  interest  shown  in  our 
work  on  Erromanga.  The  following  day  we  spent 
at    Truro    with    Dr.    and    Mrs.    M'Culloch    and    their 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  407 

daughters,  and  the  next  day  again  we  were  met  by  Mrs. 
Robertson's  youngest  sister  and  brother.  Mr.  George 
Dawson  drove  us  himself  to  Little  Harbour,  Mrs. 
Robertson's  home,  where  she  had  the  joy  of  meeting 
her  dear  mother  again.  The  next  day,  taking  my  two 
little  girls  with  me,  I  went  to  Avondale,  my  own  home, 
and  spent  a  delightful  week  there.  We  caught  trout 
in  the  same  little  brook  that  I  had  fished  in  as  a  boy.  It 
was,  indeed,  a  joy  to  my  wife  and  myself  to  be  with 
the  dear  home-folk  again. 

Very  soon  after  our  arrival,  I  had  a  letter  from  an 
old  friend  and  fellow-student,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Cruik- 
shank,  of  St.  Matthew's  Church,  Montreal,  asking  me  to 
take  meetings  there,  which  I  did.  After  being  in  Mon- 
treal I  also  addressed  meetings  in  Quebec  and  in  our 
Canadian  London,  where  I  met  a  great  number  of  new 
friends  and  renewed  old  friendships.  In  November  of 
the  same  year  I  was  again  in  Montreal,  being  present 
at  and  addressing  three  meetings — one  on  Home  Mis- 
sions, one  on  Foreign  Missions,  and  the  third  under  the 
auspices  of  the  French  Evangelisation  Society.  By 
God's  blessing,  I  believe  that  all  the  meetings  did  a  great 
deal  of  good  in  deepening  the  already  keen  interest 
felt  in  our  work.  Erromanga  had  had  such  a  thrilling 
history  that  hearts  were  touched  by  hearing  how  Christ 
had  led  us  and  had  blessed  us  and  our  faithful  teachers  in 
the  telling  of  His  love  to  those  sitting  in  darkness  I 
was  thankful  that  I  was  able  to  go  to  every  place 
where  meetings  had  been  arranged,  and  never  missed 
one  through  ill-health.  Though  the  weather  was  often 
bitterly  cold,  and  though  I  wore  not  even  a  muffler, 
I  never  once  had  a  touch  of  sore  throat.  A  great  number 
of  congregations — from  Cape  Breton  in  the  east  to 
Lake  Huron  in  the  west — were  visited,  and  it  was  simply 
marvellous    to   see   the  kindness  of  every  one.      Mrs. 


408  ERROMANGA 

Robertson  was  a  great  deal  with  me,  and  we  made  many 
warm  and  life-long  friends.  During  our  stay  in  Canada, 
I  was  able  to  collect  three  hundred  pounds  for  the 
support  of  my  teachers,  another  three  hundred  pounds 
(in  which  was  included  one  hundred  pounds  for  making 
a  road  across  the  island)  for  Mission  use  on  Erromanga, 
and  four  hundred  pounds  to  go  to  the  fund  for  a  new 
(steamer)  Dayspring.  This  last  was  at  once,  of  course, 
handed  to  the  Committee  of  my  Church,  and  the  money 
still  lies  at  fixed  deposit  in  a  Halifax  bank.  Altogether 
a  sum  of  one  thousand  pounds  was  given,  and  of  it,  I 
think,  the  money  subscribed  for  teachers  was  particularly 
helpful.  Before  this  time  we  had  had  no  regular 
Canadian  fund  from  which  to  pay  our  teachers.  The 
parents  of  a  young  lady  who  belonged  to  Rev.  Dr.  Steel's 
congregation  in  Sydney,  after  her  death,  had  put  aside 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds  for  the  Erromangan 
Mission.  The  interest  of  this  was  given  every  year 
to  support  a  teacher.  It  was  a  great  help  to  us  now  to 
have  a  large  sum  subscribed  by  kind  friends  in  Canada, 
who,  for  many  years  after,  bore  the  support  of  our 
teachers,  until  the  Erromangans  were  able  to  support 
themselves. 

Perhaps  one  of  my  most  interesting  visits  was  that  to 
Alberton,  Prince  Edward's  Island,  where  the  relatives 
of  the  martyred  Gordons  lived.  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  two  of  their  brothers,  one  of  whom  was  an 
elder  in  the  church,  and  I  was  able  to  tell  them  a  great 
deal  that  was  of  sacred  interest  to  them.  They  were, 
both  of  them,  tall,  splendidly  built  men  ;  for  the  Gordons 
were  a  handsome  family.  They  were  interested  in  see- 
ing my  little  boy,  Gordon,  called  after  the  martyrs,  and 
they  gave  us  a  very  warm  welcome  to  their  homes. 
It  was  a  pleasure,  indeed,  to  be  able  to  tell  them  and 
other  friends  in  Alberton  how  greatly  God  was  now 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  409 

blessing  the  labours  of  the  noble  men  who  had  laid 
down  their  lives  for  Christ's  sake  on  far  Erromanga. 

As  I  have  said,  Mrs.  Robertson  was  often  with  me 
when  going  through  Canada,  but,  during  all  the  time 
we  were  there,  our  children  were  under  the  kind  and 
loving  care  of  their  grandmother,  Mrs.  Dawson,  at  Little 
Harbour.  It  was  a  comfort,  indeed,  to  know  that  they 
were  in  so  good  hands  when  we  were  away  from  them. 
But  time  sped  on,  and  at  the  last  we  felt  very  keenly 
the  parting  with  our  dear  ones  at  home.  After  a  good- 
bye visit  to  Avondale,  we  left  Little  Harbour  in  a 
"  snow  flurry "  one  winter  morning.  As  far  as  New 
Glasgow,  we  had  with  us  Mrs.  Robertson's  two  sisters 
and  two  of  my  brothers ;  Mrs.  Robertson's  youngest 
sister.  Miss  Dawson,  was  also  with  us  for  some  time 
longer,  which  made  the  travelling  much  pleasanter  for  us. 
At  Truro  we  were,  of  course,  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  M'Cul- 
loch  and  their  family,  with  whom  Mrs.  Robertson  felt 
parting  almost  as  keenly  as  with  her  own  mother.  We 
then  went  to  Amherst,  Monckton,  and  St.  John,  where 
we  spent  the  New  Year  week,  and  then  to  Montreal 
by  way  of  Boston.  When  in  Boston  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  getting  to  see  over  Longfellow's  house, 
perhaps  in  rather  a  questionable  way,  as  some  persons 
may  say.  With  a  few  friends  we  first  interviewed  the 
housekeeper.  "  The  family  are  away,"  she  said,  "  and  I 
have  strict  orders  to  give  no  one  admission."  "  But," 
I  said,  "  we  will  soon  be  leaving  America,  and  do  not 
know  when  we  may  have  this  chance  again."  "  It  would 
be  strictly  against  orders ;  I  can't  do  it,"  she  answered. 
"  Oh,  well !  I  am  very  sorry,"  I  said;  "/«;«  the  Bishop 
of  Erromanga!^  "  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  she  said  ; 
"  will  you  come  right  in }  "  I  stepped  aside  to  let  the 
ladies  go  first,  but  all  insisted  that  "  the  bishop  "  should 
lead  the  way.     We  were  taken  into  Longfellow's  study. 


4IO  ERROMANGA 

saw  his  manuscripts  and  other  things  of  interest,  sat 
in  his  favourite  chair,  and  Mrs.  Robertson  brought  away 
a  fern  leaf  as  a  memento  of  the  place.  But  it  was  a 
sore  trial  to  me  to  go  through  it  all,  and  see  the  look 
of  respect  on  that  honest  housekeeper's  face,  and  hear 
those  tiresome  people  behind  me  calling  me  "  bishop " 
at  every  turn.  I  breathed  freely  when  we  got  safely 
outside  again,  and  were  able  to  indulge  in  the  luxury  of 
a  hearty  laugh.  Of  course  I,  like  other  Presbyterian 
ministers,  claim  to  be  a  Bishop  of  the  primitive  sort,  "  an 
overseer  "  of  a  flock. 

We  had  only  intended  staying  in  Montreal  for  a  few 
days.  We  were  to  leave  in  the  beginning  of  the  follow- 
ing week,  and  on  the  Sunday  I  was  able  to  give  two 
or  three  addresses,  speaking  in  the  Erskine  Street  Church 
at  night.  We  were  the  guests  of  our  warm  friends 
the  Rev.  R.  H.  (now  Dr.)  and  Mrs.  Warden,  and  on 
Monday  morning  Mrs.  Robertson  went  out  to  say  good- 
bye to  some  friends.  The  cold  was  intense  (twelve 
degrees  below  zero),  and  she  caught  a  severe  cold  which 
developed  into  pleurisy.  She  thought  at  first  that  it 
was  island  fever — a  bad  attack  of  it — and  when  I  came 
home  that  evening  she  told  me  it  was  nothing  but  that. 
During  the  night,  she  got  rapidly  worse  and  a  doctor 
was  sent  for.  He  at  once  suspected  what  the  trouble 
was,  and  very  soon  told  us  that  it  was  pleurisy.  For 
nine  days  my  wife  lay  at  death's  door,  but  by  our  loving 
Father's  blessing  on  the  skill  of  Drs.  Rogers  and  Ross 
and  the  tender  nursing  of  Mrs.  Warden,  she  then  rallied. 
We  feel  that  we  can  never  repay  the  marvellous  kind- 
ness of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Warden  during  that  anxious  time 
— they  were  true,  true  friends.  Mrs.  Warden  would 
allow  no  one  but  herself  to  wait  on  Mrs.  Robertson, 
and,  though  she  must  often  have  been  worn  out,  she 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  411 

was  always  the  brightest  and  most  tender-hearted  of 
nurses. 

We  left  Montreal  on  the  ist  of  February,  1885,  Mrs. 
Robertson  having  been  taken  out  the  day  before  in  a 
sleigh  to  see  if  she  could  stand  the  cold.  I  tell  her 
now  that  we  have  to  thank  her  illness  for  giving  us  the 
chance  of  being  present  during  the  gay  Winter  Carnival 
there,  and  of  seeing  the  famous  Ice  Palace  of  Montreal 
and  the  tobogganing.^  It  was  built  of  huge  blocks  of 
ice  cut  out  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and  brilliantly 
lighted  with  electric  light.  On  the  night  of  the  "  storm- 
ing," it  was  attacked  with  great  rockets  by  a  party  of 
five  hundred,  and,  of  course,  bravely  defended.  When 
the  attackers  had  been  driven  off,  they  retired  in  perfect 
order.  It  was  a  most  picturesque  thing  to  see  the  five 
hundred  snow-shoers,  in  their  white  blanket-suits  and 
each  carrying  a  lighted  torch,  winding  up  Mount  Royal. 
At  Samia  we  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  Thomas 
Nesbit,  manager  of  the  Commercial  Bank  there,  and  a 
son  of  the  late  Dr.  Nesbit,  of  Samoa.  After  eight  days 
spent  in  San  Francisco,  we  left  for  Sydney  in  the 
steamship  Australia,  Captain  Ghest.  We  arrived  in 
Sydney  on  the  12th  of  March,  being  welcomed  on  the 
steamer's  deck  by  Captain  Braithwaite  and  the  Rev. 
A.  W.  Murray,  who  had  returned  from  the  islands  in 
very  ill-health,  and  who  died  in  New  South  Wales  not 
long  after  this.  Captain  Braithwaite  gave  us  the  news 
of  Atnelo's  death,  but  on  the  whole  his  account  of  Erro- 
manga  was  very  encouraging.  We  were  eager  to  get 
back  to  our  people  again  after  our  long  absence,  and 
were  glad  when  we  were  able  to  leave  Sydney  on  the 
1st  of  April,  though  we  had  the  sorrow  of  parting  from 
our  three  dear  children,  for  we  took  only  our  youngest 
back  with  us.  But  we  were  leaving  them  in  good  hands 
— the  two  little  g^ls  with  the  Rev.  S.  and  Mrs.  Ella 


412  ERROMANGA 

and  their  daughters  at  Petersham,  and  their  brother  at 
a  boys'  school  near.  And  Gordon  was  left  also  under 
the  special  care  of  our  dear  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ander- 
son,^ who  had  proved  such  a  father  and  mother  to 
him  in  his  baby  days. 

We  had  a  pleasant  trip  in  the  Dayspring,  our  fellow- 
passengers  being  the  Rev.  J.  H.  and  Mrs.  Lawrie,  re- 
turning to  Aneityum,  and  the  Rev.  Charles  and  Mrs. 
Murray  on  their  way  to  Ambrim.  I  had  written  to 
the  teachers  from  Canada,  telling  them  that  we  should 
be  back  about  the  25th  of  April.  Of  course,  after  that, 
they  expected  us  on  the  25th,  not  a  day  earlier  or  later, 
and  very  fortunately  we  did  not  disappoint  them.  We 
had  been  at  Weasisi,  on  Tanna,  that  morning.  It  was 
raining  heavily ;  so  only  Mr.  Murray  and  I  landed,  and 
had  a  hurried  visit  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray.  Mr.  Eyre, 
the  first  officer,  followed  us  on  shore  with  a  message  from 
Captain  Braithwaite,  saying  that  if  we  went  back  at  once 
to  the  ship  then,  he  would  do  his  best  to  land  us  at  Dil- 
lon's Bay  that  evening.  So  we  left,  but  when  we  were 
off  Bunkil,  on  the  south  of  Erromanga,  we  were  in  a  dead 
calm,  and  were  almost  giving  up  hope  of  getting  to 
Dillon's  Bay  that  day.  However,  our  good  captain 
ordered  the  boats  to  be  put  in  the  water,  and  after  a 
time  with  hard  pulling  and  a  little  breeze  that  sprang  up, 
greatly  to  our  joy,  we  rounded  the  south  point,  the 
"  Steps "  of  Dillon's  Bay.  We  soon  caught  sight  of 
the  Martyrs'  Memorial  Church,  and  our  own  house, 
nestling  among  the  cocoanut  trees,  and  people  running 
hither  and  thither  in  great  excitement.  They  rushed 
to  the  boat-house,  and,  after  unlocking  the  gate,  seemed 
to  change  their  minds,  and  ran  away  again.  We  found 
out  later  on  that,  as  it  was  a  Saturday,  a  number  of  the 
stronger  men  were  away  at  their  gardens,  and  those 
who  were  left  could  not  have   managed  to  carry  the 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  413 

boat  down  to  the  water.  However,  very  soon  numbers 
of  men  came  running  down,  and,  shortly  after  we 
anchored,  the  boat  shot  out  of  the  river  mouth ;  Usuo, 
Noragu,  Lilea,  Nangerevit  and  a  number  of  others  were 
in  her,  and  all  gave  us  the  warmest  of  welcomes.  It 
was  just  about  sunset  then.  We  afterwards  learned  that 
Naiyup,  who,  after  Atnelo's  death  had  been  appointed 
as  the  Dillon's  Bay  teacher,  was  just  starting  to  another 
village  to  hold  a  short  service  when  Owang,  who  was 
in  disgrace  at  the  time,  called  out  to  him :  "  A  nice  thing 
for  you — the  teacher — to  be  going  away  and  Misi  com- 
ing along  there  in  the  Dayspring ".  Naiyup  turned, 
and,  sure  enough,  there  was  the  ship  just  in  sight  at  the 
point.  Owang  rose  in  his  own  and  everybody  else's 
estimation,  as  having  been  the  first  to  see  us.  He 
promised  to  try  and  do  better,  and  so  at  our  home-coming 
we  were  glad  to  be  able  to  bring  him  back  to  the  village 
again. 

With  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Murray  we  were  soon  on  shore, 
and  were  very  much  touched  by  the  warm  and  heart-felt 
welcome  our  dear  Erromangans  gave  us.  They  seemed 
as  if  they  could  not  do  enough  for  us.  We  were 
charmed  with  the  neatness  and  cleanliness  of  all  the 
Mission  premises.  Dear  old  Ohai,  who  had  been  left 
in  charge,  had  everything  in  perfect  order ;  even  the 
very  pins  that  Mrs.  Robertson  had  left  on  her  dressing- 
table  had  been  carefully  rolled  up  in  paper.  A  small 
slate  that  used  to  hang  in  my  medicine  room,  and  on 
which  I  marked  down  anything  that  the  natives  wanted, 
was  still  there  with  some  writing  done  two  and 
a  half  years  before.  Ohai  had  kept  it  just  as  it  was ; 
for  though  she  could  not  read  a  word  herself  she  had  a 
profound  reverence  for  writing  of  any  kind.  She  came 
down  to  meet  us,  her  face  all  aglow  with  pleasure,  and 
soon  took  charge  of  our  three-year-old  "  baby,"  hugging 


414  ERROMANGA 

the  child  as  if  she  would  never  let  her  go.  Watata,  too, 
had  proved  very  faithful  during  our  absence,  and  the 
church,  our  house,  and  the  boat  were  painted  so  thickly 
that  the  flies  and  ourselves  stuck  to  them! 

Mr.  Annand  had  supplied  Captain  Braithwaite  with 
the  money  for  paying  the  teachers,  and  after  all  had 
been  well  paid  there  was  a  balance  of  sixteen  pounds. 
I  had  left  forty  teachers,  and  found  forty-four  at  work 
when  I  came  back.  Yomot  and  Atnelo  (up  to  the  time 
of  his  death)  and  other  teachers  had  written  to  me  regu- 
larly, and  they  had  in  every  way  acted  nobly.  We 
found  everything  in  a  very  encouraging  condition ;  the 
work  had  gone  forward,  and  many  new  converts  had 
been  won  to  Christ.  Captain  Braithwaite  had  called 
regularly  in  the  Dayspring,  and  had  been  a  good  friend 
to  our  people.  Mr.  Mackenzie  and  Mr.  Annand  had 
the  management  of  my  stations  during  my  absence. 
Yomot  sent  word  to  them  that  a  few  couples  were  wait- 
ing to  be  married,  and  as  at  the  time  neither  Mr. 
Mackenzie  nor  Mr.  Annand  could  visit  Erromanga,  Cap- 
tain Braithwaite  was  commissioned  to  tie  the  knots. 
The  captain  was  very  much  interested  in  the  "  job,"  but, 
unfortunately,  after  getting  the  marriage  service  off  by 
heart  and  everything  in  readiness,  he,  too,  was  unable 
to  call  at  the  island.  The  next  trip  Mr.  Mackenzie  was 
on  board,  and  married  the  waiting  brides  and  bride- 
grooms. 

By  the  Tuesday  after  our  arrival,  hundreds  of  people 
had  gathered  in  from  Ifwa,  Cook's  Bay,  Portinia  Bay, 
Bunkil  and  Il-Efate.  Presents  of  food  and  pigs — no 
less  than  twenty-seven  of  them — were  given  to  us.  We 
gave  seven  very  large  ones  to  the  Dayspring,  and  a 
number  of  the  others  were  killed  for  the  banqueting 
that  was  going  on  day  after  day.  The  very  generous 
gift  of  the  people  was  a  complete  surprise  to  us ;   they 


OWANG,    AS   DRIVER   OF   THE  MISSION'S   HORSE   AND   CART. 

[Page  415. 


'SOUTH  RIVER,"   UNEPANG. 


[Page  4!Jti. 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  415 

had  been  fattening  up  the  pigs  for  months — some  of 
them  so  fat  that  they  were  ahnost  blind — and,  as  Yomot 
said,  each  person  had  "  given  of  his  own  free  will,  eagerly, 
and  as  a  token  of  his  love  ". 

In  July  I  dispensed  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  at  Dillon's  Bay.  We  had  a  large  gathering,  and 
met  in  a  large,  beautifully  thatched  "  church  "  that  At- 
nelo  had  built  just  before  his  death  and  specially  for 
this  occasion,  as  he  knew  the  Martyrs'  Church  would 
not  be  big  enough.  We  brought  back  with  us  from 
Sydney  a  fine  horse  and  a  cart.  The  cart  was,  I  fancy, 
the  first  in  the  New  Hebrides.  Both  were  a  gift  to  the 
Mission  from  our  people,  and  cost  fifty-five  pounds,  the 
money  being  got  from  the  sale  of  their  arrowroot.  Mr. 
Gordon's  old  horse  "  Bessie  "  was  dead,  and  the  new 
one,  "  Dolly,"  proved  a  splendid  help.  A  httle  later  I 
bought  another  horse  for  Mrs.  Robertson's  use.  The 
money  had  been  given  to  her  at  home  for  that  purpose, 
and  it  was  a  great  convenience,  while  we  had  them,  to 
have  the  use  of  two  horses. 

As  soon  as  possible,  we  began  the  big  work  of  making 
a  road  right  across  from  Dillon's  Bay  to  Port  Nariven. 
My  first  idea  was  to  make  it  ten  feet  broad,  but,  after 
some  miles  of  this,  we  saw  that  it  would  need  a  fortune 
to  keep  it  open.  Those  who  have  lived  in  these  islands 
know  how  rapidly  everything  grows,  and  how  hard  it 
is  to  keep  even  the  ground  near  our  houses  clear  of 
shrubs,  for  they  grow  just  hke  weeds.  Of  course,  a 
great  number  of  men  and  women  were  kept  on  that 
work,  and  what  with  food  and  payment,  it  seemed  as  if 
the  money  for  the  road  would  soon  be  gone.  So  we 
decided  to  content  ourselves  with  a  well-cut  bridle- 
track  right  across  the  island.  It  is  about  twenty-five 
miles  in  length,  and  broad  enough  for  all  the  uses  we 
have  ever  had.     It  is  now  used  constantly,  and  is  kept 


4i6  ERROMANGA 

open  by  the  people  themselves,  being  thoroughly  cleared 
every  year. 

During  our  stay  in  Glasgow,  I  had  a  most  generous 
proposal  from  Mr.  H.  Barnett.  He  offered  to  take 
charge  of  all  the  arrowroot  that  the  Erromangans  could 
make,  and  to  find  a  sale  for  it  in  Scotland  and  elsewhere. 
Needless  to  say,  I  accepted  very  gratefully  his  generous 
help ;  for  up  to  that  time  we  had  not  always  found 
it  easy  to  dispose  of  the  arrowroot ;  and  the  year  we 
went  home  we  took  it  with  us  to  Canada.  Since  our 
return  to  Erromanga  in  1885  up  to  the  present  time, 
Mr.  Bamett  has  taken  all  this  work  upon  himself. 
Every  year  all  the  arrowroot  is  packed  in  casks  and 
shipped  to  Glasgow,  and  from  the  time  it  reaches  him 
Mr.  Barnett  is  never  idle  a  moment  until  every  pound 
is  disposed  of.  Through  his  untiring  efforts,  his  friends 
and  others  have  got  to  know  and  like  the  arrowroot,  and 
we  and  our  people  owe  this  true  friend  a  deep  debt  of 
gratitude  for  all  he  has  done  and  is  still  doing  for 
Erromanga. 

The  bulb  of  the  arrowroot  plant  is  gathered  when 
ripe^  that  is  in  the  winter  months,  and,  when  a  sufficient 
quantity  is  ready,  the  bulbs  are  then  thoroughly  washed. 
At  Dillon's  Bay  it  is  always  carried  up  the  river  some 
distance  and  washed  in  the  running  water  of  the  stream. 
The  bulbs  vary  in  size,  but  resemble  a  potato  both  in  size 
and  appearance,  being  of  a  dull  brown  colour.  It  is 
generally  the  women  who  wash  the  bulbs  and  scrape 
off  the  outer  skin.  Of  course,  none  but  perfectly  healthy 
people  are  allowed  to  assist  in  this  work,  and  these  are 
careful  to  don  their  cleanest  and  simplest  garments. 
When  the  bulb  is  washed  and  ready  for  grating,  it  looks 
more  than  ever  like  a  round  potato.  All  are  laid  on 
clean  leaves,  and  now  the  labour  of  the  men  begins. 
At    the    other    villages    tin    graters    are    used ;    but   at 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  417 

Dillon's  Bay  we  are  advanced  enough  to  have  a  machine 
for  the  purpose.  After  it  is  all  grated,  water  is  poured 
over  it,  and  the  whole  well  strained  through  cloths.  By 
the  time  all  this  is  done  it  is  generally  pretty  late  in  the 
day,  and  the  arrowroot  is  left  covered  up  in  the  tubs 
for  the  night.  The  next  morning,  the  sediment  having 
sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the  tubs,  the  water  is  clear  and 
is  poured  off.  The  arrowroot  is  again  washed  and 
strained  through  the  cloths,  and  this  process  is  repeated 
perhaps  three  or  four  times  more,  until  it  is  perfectly 
white  and  clean.  The  men  then  carry  all  the  tubs  down 
to  the  Mission  premises.  Then  arrowroot  sheets,  made 
of  washed,  unbleached  calico,  are  laid  on  the  smooth 
grass  near  the  church  or  on  the  clean  gravel  square  in 
front  of  it,  and  the  arrowroot  is  cut  out  in  pieces  from 
the  tubs  and  spread  on  these  to  dry.  Two  or  three  men 
are  always  at  hand  to  break  it  up  into  smaller  pieces  as 
it  dries.  If  the  weather  is  fine  and  sunny,  all  should 
be  thoroughly  dry  in  a  few  days,  and  ready  for  sifting. 
If  too  dry,  it  will  not  sift  so  well  as  when  almost  dry. 
After  the  drying  is  over,  it  is  again  laid  out  in  the  sun, 
and,  after  a  second  sifting,  is  ready  to  be  put  in  bags. 
We  make  it  up  into  3  lb.,  5  lb.,  7  lb.  and  10  lb.  bags, 
and  these  are  packed  in  strong,  hard-wood  casks  for 
shipment.  The  largest  quantity  made  in  one  season  on 
Erromanga  was  5,000  lb. ;  the  last  shipment  was 
3,000  lb.  The  money  which  the  sale  of  the  arrow- 
root realises  is  used  to  defray  the  cost  of  printing  the 
books  of  Scripture  in  Erromangan  and  for  other  Mission 
purposes,  such  as  the  fifty-five  pounds  given  for  the  horse 
and  cart,  and  the  purchase  of  corrugated  iron  for  the 
Dillon's  Bay  and  Port  Nariven  houses.  During  our  stay 
in  Canada,  I  had  one  thousand  copies  of  the  Gospels  of 
Matthew  and  Mark  printed,  and  in  1890,  in  Sydney, 
copies  of  the  four  Gospels  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 


4i8  ERROMANGA 

in  one  book.  I  have  just  made  arrangements  with  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  for  the  printing  of 
three  thousand  copies  of  the  New  Testament.  The 
Erromangans  have  already  paid  over  to  the  Society 
an  instalment  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  towards 
defraying  the  cost  of  the  printing,  and  another  instal- 
ment of,  perhaps,  one  hundred  pounds,  from  the  sale 
of  the  last  shipment  of  arrowroot  will,  I  hope,  shortly 
follow  this. 

For  the  last  four  or  five  years  our  people  have  made 
a  special  share  of  arrowroot,  the  proceeds  of  which  go 
to  the  Teachers'  Fund  on  the  island.  They  now  entirely 
support  their  own  teachers,  agreeing  that  the  Canadian 
Church,  which  has  helped  them  for  so  many  years, 
should  not  be  asked  to  do  so  any  more.  The  Erro- 
mangans are  not  a  rich  people ;  they  have  very  scanty 
means  of  making  money,  and  so  it  seemed  only  right 
that  a  portion  of  the  arrowroot  profits  should  go  to  this 
object  In  one  year  ;£^ioo  was  collected  in  the  different 
villages  to  help  to  support  the  teachers,  but  they  are 
not  always  able  to  do  so  well  in  money.  A  few  years 
ago,  I  began  taking  a  marriage  fee  of  ten  shilhngs, 
which  was  to  go  to  help  the  Teachers'  Fund.  To  my 
delight  the  idea  "  took,"  and,  though  no  one  is  compelled 
to  give,  there  is  scarcely  a  bridegroom  who  is  not  eager 
to  give  something,  and  most  of  them  manage  to  raise 
the  ten  shillings.  Although  not  exactly  "off  their 
heads  with  joy,"  they  are  generally  in  the  best  of 
humours  on.  their  wedding  day,  and  think  nothing  of 
the  fee.  At  one  marriage,  after  the  bridegroom  had 
handed  me  his  money,  I  was  taken  aback  by  the  bride 
shoving  five  shillings  into  my  hand.  She  would  not 
hear  of  taking  it  back ;  so  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
she  was  well  satisfied  with   her  bargain.     In    1899,   I 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  419 

was  able  to  hand  over  £^  6s.  6d.  of  marriage  fees  to  the 
Teachers'  Salary  Fund. 

I  have  been  trying  to  reduce  the  number  of  teachers 
on  the  island  during  the  last  few  years.  The  population 
is  decreasing  sadly,  and  we  are  urging  the  people  to 
come  more  into  the  central  villages  where  they  can  be 
easily  reached ;  and  in  that  way  one  teacher  could  over- 
take the  work  that  was  formerly  done  by  two  or  three. 
At  present  the  number  stands  at  about  twenty,  and  all 
are  working  well.  Our  Erromangans  are  not  so  willing 
to  go  to  help  as  Teachers  on  other  islands  now  as  we 
should  like,  but  at  present  we  have  several  couples 
assisting  missionaries  elsewhere,  and  these,  I  am  glad  to 
say,  seem  to  be  giving  every  satisfaction. 

The  rapid  decrease  of  the  population  has  just  been  men- 
tioned. At  the  last  census,  taken  in  1894,  when  I  went 
right  round  the  island  on  foot,  the  number,  not  counting 
those  on  hire  in  Queensland  or  other  places,  stood  at 
1,500,  and  in  these  last  few  years  I  know  even  this  small 
population  has  sadly  lessened.  Without  doubt  the 
strongest  factor  in  the  depopulation  of  this  island,  has 
been  the  Queensland  labour  traffic.^  In  the  first  part 
of  our  life  on  Erromanga,  when  there  were  no  regula- 
tions for  it,  the  labour  trciffic  for  Queensland,  and  especi- 
ally for  Fiji,  was  little  else  than  a  slave  trade.  For- 
tunately this  state  of  things  has  passed  away.  We 
never  have  any  but  the  Queensland  ships  now,  and  as 
far  as  their  regulations  go,  they — the  regulations — could 
scarcely  be  improved.  Each  vessel  carries  a  Government 
agent,  and  from  what  we  have  seen  and  heard,  natives 
"  recruiting "  are  treated  with  every  kindness,  and  are 
well  cared  for.  Both  captains  and  Government  agents 
have,  in  nearly  every  instance,  treated  us  with  the  ut- 
most courtesy,  and,  as  friends,  they  are  always  welcome 
in  our  home.     As  far  as  I  know  and  I  mention  this  with 


420  ERROMANGA 

the  greatest  of  pleasure,  no  person  in  any  Queensland 
labour  ship  has  ever  given  or  sold  liquor  to  an  Erro- 
mangan.  But  that  which  is  in  itself  bad  cannot  be  regu- 
lated, and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  this  labour 
traffic  has  been  a  curse^  and  nothing  but  a  curse  to  our 
island.  Boys  and  men,  from  fourteen  years  old  to  forty, 
the  pick  of  the  people,  are  taken  away  in  large  numbers, 
and  very  few  of  these  ever  return.  In  1896,  two  ships 
took  away  from  Portinia  Bay  alone,  the  one  thirty-nine 
and  the  other  eleven  young  men,  and  altogether  in  that 
district  a  hundred  men  and  boys  were  taken  away. 
Three  schools  had  to  be  closed.  No  more  harm  can  be 
done  in  that  bay  now  until  the  boys  have  time  to  grow 
up.  The  most  revolting  part  of  the  "  recruiting,"  to  my 
mind,  is  the  practice  of  giving  money  as  an  engagement 
fee.  Of  course,  this  money  is  not  given  him  as  pay,  it  is 
handed  to  the  man  who  is  intending  to  ship  to  do  as 
he  likes  with  it,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact,  in  nearly  every 
instance,  he  at  once  passes  it  to  his  nearest  relation, 
and  it  is  looked  upon  as  pay  or  compensation  for  his 
leaving.  In  cases  where  the  man  has  not  given  up  this 
money  I  have  had  complaints  that  "  So-and-so  left,  and 
no  nipmi,  '  pay,'  was  given  to  his  friends  by  the  people 
in  the  ship  ".  This  has  a  distinctly  bad  effect,  and  is 
one  of  the  worst  features  of  the  traffic.  In  Queensland 
the  recruits  are  well  treated,  and  speak  kindly  of  their 
masters.  Christian  ladies  and  gentlemen  there  take 
the  deepest  interest  in  them,  and  classes  are  conducted 
regularly  for  their  instruction.  There  is  no  doubt  that, 
on  the  whole,  they  are  very  comfortable  both  in  the 
ships  and  on  the  sugar  plantations  in  Queensland,  but 
the  climate  is  very  much  against  them ;  they  belong  to 
a  weak  race  and  easily  succumb  to  disease.  And  I 
repeat  that,  though  those  in  the  traffic  have  often  proved 
themselves  not  only  gentlemen  but  friends,  the  traffic 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  421 

itself  has  been  against  us  and  our  work  from  the  very 
beginning,  and  is  a  dark,  dark  blot  on  the  colony  of 
Queensland. 

The  year  after  our  return  from  Canada  an  old  man 
named  Nokesam,  accompanied  by  a  few  friends,  un- 
armed, made  a  visit  right  round  the  island.  He  was  an 
ignorant  man,  but  a  sincere  Christian,  and  was  eager  to 
speak  of  his  Saviour  to  the  heathen.  His  visit,  the  fact 
that  he  and  his  party  took  no  weapons  and  showed  such 
confidence  in  every  one,  did  a  great  deal  of  good.  About 
this  time,  we  were  disappointed  in  one  of  the  northern 
villages,  and  had  to  withdraw  our  teacher,  Molep.  Mo- 
lep  and  his  wife,  Nuferuvi,  had  been  settled  there  for 
some  time,  and  seemed  to  be  getting  on  well  with  the 
chief,  Nokilian,  and  his  people.  We  were  pleased  with 
Nokilian's  eagerness  and  his  kindness  to  Molep,  but 
after  a  time  he  took  a  longing  for  another  taste  of 
heathenism,  and  listened  to  the  chiefs  around  him  who 
were  urging  him  to  give  up  the  school.  So  one  bright 
morning  he  set  fire  to  the  schoolhouse,  and,  to  put  us  off 
the  scent,  to  a  little  old  hut  of  his  own.  Any  fool  can 
light  a  conflagration,  but  it  needs  some  work  to  stop  one  ; 
and,  much  to  poor  Nokilian's  dismay,  the  flames  spread 
to  the  teacher's  house  and  to  a  large  siman-lo  where  he 
had  two  guns  and  a  box.  By  the  time  he  called  help, 
it  was  almost  too  late  to  save  anything  ;  but  Molep  man- 
aged to  get  out  all  the  arrowroot  that  had  been  stored 
in  his  house,  and  the  tubs,  too,  though  these  were  badly 
damaged.  Nokilian  was  in  great  distress  about  his  loss, 
but  we  at  once  suspected  that  he  was  at  the  root  of  the 
mischief.  He  blamed  the  heathen ;  they  had,  he  said, 
burnt  the  buildings  in  anger,  and  wanted  to  drive  his 
teacher  away  from  him.  I  sent  word  that,  if  he  really 
wanted  the  Gospel  and  was  willing  to  give  up  something 


422  ERROMANGA 

for  it,  he  should  bring  his  wife  and  all  his  belongings 
to  Dillon's  Bay ;  they  would  be  made  welcome  there, 
and  would  be  away  from  the  influence  of  his  heathen 
friends.  As  I  expected,  he  did  not  come.  I  saw  it 
would  not  do  to  leave  the  teacher  there,  and  so  sent 
the  boat  to  bring  back  Molep  and  his  wife.  We  found 
that  Nuferuvi,  just  before  leaving,  tried  once  again  to 
persuade  Nokilian's  young  wife  to  go  with  her  to 
Dillon's  Bay,  telling  her  how  sheltered  she  would  be 
there  and  how  she  would  be  able  to  worship  without 
fear.  But  the  chief's  wife,  I  am  afraid,  had  no  longing 
for  that,  and  answered  Nuferuvi  with  a  quick  "  No ! 
Dillon's  Bay,"  she  said,  "  is  an  open  country,  and  all  go 
there,  but  my  spirit  has  ever  dwelt  in  the  wild  woods" 

We  purposed  to  build  a  small  one-roomed  cottage 
about  ten  miles  north  of  Dillon's  Bay,  at  Fui,  near  the 
village  of  Naliniwe,  the  old  chief ;  we  could  easily  go 
there  by  boat  and  often  spend  a  week  or  two  with  the 
people  of  that  district.  And  the  house  was  to  be  built 
on  the  hill,  and  thus  it  would  be  a  real  change  to  us  if 
we  should  happen  to  be  in  ill-health.  Our  people  very 
generously  gave  the  money  for  the  building  out  of  their 
arrowroot  fund,  and  helped  us  much  in  putting  it  up. 
Old  Naliniwe  was  delighted  that  we  should  think  of 
going  to  live  near  him,  and  whenever  we  were  there  he 
and  his  wives  loaded  us  with  kindness.  He  was  a  dear 
old  man,  simple  as  a  child,  and  yet  no  fool.  Shortly 
before  his  death,  he  was  admitte^d  as  a  member  of  the 
Church  on  condition  that  he  should  give  up  his  second 
wife.  He  promised  faithfully  to  do  so,  but  the  poor 
man  found  it  very  hard  to  comply,  and  we  never  could 
find  out  whether  she  had  really  left  him  or  not.  When- 
ever we  saw  Naliniwe  she  was  always  "  just  going ". 
His  was  the  only  case  where  we  admitted  a  man  before 
he  gave  up  the  second  wife,  but  after  all  I  was  not  sorry 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  423 

for  doing  it,  and  we  knew  that  he  died  a  true  Christian 
and  fully  trusting  in  his  Saviour.  While  building  the 
house  at  Fui,  I  one  day  sent  Netai  with  others  to  Mrs. 
Robertson  at  Dillon's  Bay,  and  as  I  knew  she  had  not 
been  well,  bade  him  tell  her  that  she  was  on  no  account 
to  let  anybody  bother  her  by  wanting  to  barter.  Netai 
agreed.  He  saw  Mrs.  Robertson,  gave  her  my  letter, 
in  which  I  had  forgotten  to  mention  this,  kept  her  busy 
the  whole  morning  bartering,  and  then  when  he  went 
to  say  good-bye  he  added,  "  I  was  to  tell  you,  Misis, 
that  you  must  not  think  of  working  too  hard,  and  if 
any  one  comes  wanting  to  sell  yam,  you  must  just  say 
'  No '."  He  smiled  most  sympathetically,  too,  as  he 
said  it ! 

In  1887  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Annand,  who  had  returned  from 
their  visit  to  Canada,^  arrived  in  the  islands.  While  at 
home  Mr.  Annand  had  nobly  offered  to  go  to  the  large 
island  of  Santo,  and  leave  Aneityum  where  he  had  been 
so  long.  Santo  had  always  had  a  warm  place  in  the 
hearts  of  the  Canadian  people,  and  the  fact  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Annand  were  so  generously  offering  to  open 
up  a  new  station  on  that  large  island  had  a  cheering 
effect  on  them.  A  very  warm  interest  was  taken  in 
their  plans,  and  they  came  back  to  their  work  followed 
by  the  prayers  and  good  wishes  of  many  in  the  Do- 
minion. Three  new  missionaries  had  arrived  from 
Scotland — the  Revs.  A.  Morton,  T.  Watt  Leggatt  and 
J.  D.  Landels ;  the  two  former  being  chosen  to  repre- 
sent the  Church  of  Victoria,  and  Mr.  Landels  the  Church 
of  New  South  Wales.  They  reached  the  islands  in 
November  of  1886,  too  late  in  the  year  to  be  settled 
anywhere  by  our  Synod,  so  that  the  four  settlements  took 
place  during  the  winter  of  the  following  year.  As  there 
was  likely  to  be  so  much  work  to  do,  the  Dayspring 


424  ERROMANGA 

Board  chartered  the  Cairndhu,  a  vessel  of  i6o  tons,  to 
help  the  Dayspring  that  year.  The  Dayspring  arrived 
at  Erromanga  first.  We  had  almost  decided  not  to  go 
to  the  Synod,  which  was  to  be  held  in  the  north  that 
year,  but  on  learning  of  the  Cairndhu^  we  arranged  to 
wait  for  her.  I  was  very  busy  at  the  time  making  a 
cellar  under  our  house,  and  could  not  leave  the  work 
till  it  was  finished.  Four  days  afterwards  the  vessel 
arrived,  and  we  were  pleased  to  see  Mr.  Eyre,  the  chief 
officer  of  the  Dayspring,  as  captain.  He  was  a  general 
favourite ;  always  so  kind  and  obliging,  and,  what  was 
still  better,  a  sincere  Christian.  We  picked  up  Mr. 
Mackenzie  and  his  son  Norman  at  Erakor,  Mrs.  Robert- 
son preferring  to  stay  with  Mrs.  Mackenzie  until  our 
return.  We  reached  Ambrim  before  the  Dayspring,  and 
on  her  arrival  the  Synod  was  held.  Mr.  Morton  and 
Mr.  Leggatt  were  appointed  to  Malekula,  Mr.  Watt  to 
help  in  their  settlement ;  Mr.  Landels  was  appointed  to 
Malo,  and  with  Mr.  Annand,  Mr.  Mackenzie,  Mr.  Eraser 
and  myself  was  to  go  to  his  station  in  the  Cairndhu. 
We  soon  arrived  at  Malo,  and  the  people  seemed  de- 
lighted to  welcome  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landels.  Land  was 
at  once  bought  and  cleared,  and  the  work  of  building 
begun.  The  boat  went  once  to  the  small  island  of 
Tangoa,  off  the  mainland  of  Santo,  and  it  seemed  such 
a  suitable  spot  for  a  Mission  station  that  Mr.  Annand 
wished,  if  possible,  to  build  his  house  there.  We  were 
to  have  had  the  ship's  boat  to  go  again,  but  before  we 
could  carry  out  our  plan  there  came  the  unfortunate 
wreck  of  the  Cairndhu  on  the  reef  off  Malo.  All  the 
cargo  was  saved,  but  the  ship  was  a  total  wreck.  The 
chief  officer,  with  a  native  crew,  at  once  offered  to  go 
south  to  tell  the  captain  of  the  Dayspring.  They  met 
that  ship  at  Malekula,  and,  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to 
leave,    Captain    Braithwaite    came    north    to    Captain 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  425 

Eyre's  assistance.  Before  his  arrival  Mr.  Annand  re- 
solved to  take  some  of  the  timber  for  his  house  over  to 
Tangoa.  He  himself  built  a  raft,  and  the  loading  was 
towed  on  this  behind  the  boat.  In  two  days  the  ground 
had  been  bought  and  cleared,  the  foundation  of  the 
house  built,  and  a  rough  road  made  to  the  shore.  We 
were  all  charmed  with  the  picturesque  site  of  the  house. 
The  Mission  station  at  Tangoa  is  very  pretty,  with  the 
grass  on  each  side  of  the  house  sloping  right  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  and  large  trees  dotted  here  and  there 
and  giving  a  delightful  shade.  We  stayed  at  Tangoa 
for  six  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  Dayspring,  and  the 
house-building  went  well  ahead.  When  we  returned  to 
Malo  to  pick  up  the  ship-wrecked  crew,  the  Cairndhu 
was  sold  at  auction.  Arriving  at  Tongoa,''  we  found  Mr 
Mackenzie's  boat  there.  Mrs.  Mackenzie  and  Mrs. 
Robertson  had  heard  of  the  wreck  soon  after  it  hap- 
pened, but  having  no  particulars  about  it  were  very 
anxious.  Fortunately,  they  soon  heard  from  Captain 
Wylie,  R.N.,  of  the  safety  of  all  on  board,  and  some  of 
Mr.  Mackenzie's  strongest  young  men  offering  to  go  and 
meet  us  and  take  us  news  from  Erakor,  Mrs.  Mackenzie 
willingly  agreed,  only  bargaining  that  they  should  run 
into  no  danger.  It  was  thus  an  unexpected  pleasure  for 
us  to  get  letters  at  Tongoa,  and  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  de- 
lighted with  the  heartiness  of  his  natives.  Mr.  Michel- 
sen  had  wisely  insisted  that  they  should  go  no  further 
north.  When  we  reached  Havannah  Harbour  of  Efate, 
on  our  way  south,  it  was  arranged  that  we  should  stay 
all  night  on  shore,  and  the  boy  Norman  was  promptly 
put  to  bed.  Mr.  Mackenzie  and  I  went  for  a  stroll  on 
the  shore  ;  it  was  a  charming  evening,  with  a  light  wind, 
and  we  must  have  been  both  struck  with  the  same 
thought  at  that  moment,  for  just  as  I  was  going  to  speak, 


426  ERROMANGA 

Mr.  Mackenzie  said,  "  What  do  you  think  of  rousing 
the  men,  and  going  in  the  boat  to  Erakor  ?  " 

"  Splendid !  "  I  said  ;   "  but  what  about  Norman  ?  " 

"  Oh !  that  will  be  all  right ;  I  will  soon  wake  him," 
said  the  unsympathetic  father.  In  a  very  short  time  we 
were  ready,  Norman  staggering  up,  rubbing  his  eyes ; 
and,  saying  good-bye  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Macdonald,  our 
hosts,  we  were  off.  The  wind  dropped  soon  after  we  left, 
and  so  we  had  to  pull  all  the  way ;  but  we  had  a  good 
crew,  and  by  daylight  were  in  the  beautiful  lagoon  at 
Erakor.  The  Dayspring  arrived  that  same  day,  and 
we  were  glad,  after  our  long  absence,  to  be  landed  at 
Dillon's  Bay  again. 

About  this  time  a  number  of  people  began  to  come 
regularly  to  the  schools.  Usuo  was  a  great  help  to  us 
now,  and  was  very  soon  made  a  teacher.  The  Sufa 
people  still  held  out,  but  some  began  to  get  more 
friendly,  and  several,  among  them  old  Novwai,  attended 
school  now  and  again,  though  they  were  never  regular 
in  coming.  Novwai  had  a  niece,  or,  as  he  called  her,  a 
daughter,  named  Naimpin,  whom  Mrs.  Robertson  took 
into  the  house  for  training.  The  old  man  was  passing 
one  day,  and  happened  to  see  Naimpin.  He  held  out 
his  hand,  and  then  rather  hesitatingly  said  :  "  Kik-e-pau^ 
ku  kemnavan  ra  feranda  ?  '  my  love  to  you '  (that  is, 
how  do  you  do  ?),  '  do  you  walk  on  the  verandah  ? ' " 
of  course,  meaning  that,  perhaps,  she  thought  herself 
too  much  above  him  since  she  came  to  live  with  us. 

In  was  in  1886,  shortly  before  the  arrival  of  the  new 
missionaries,  that  a  determined  plot  was  made  to  take 
our  lives.  We  thought  that  we  had  had  the  last  of  this 
kind  of  thing,  and  never  dreamed  of  danger.  It  was  at 
a  feast  at  Unepang  that  the  proposal  was  mooted ;  the 
heathen  saw  the  rapid  advance  that  Christianity  was 
making ;   their  power  was  slipping  away,  and  they  de- 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  427 

termined  to  make  a  last  desperate  effort.  We  heard 
nothing  of  all  this ;  for,  knowing  how  they  had  failed 
in  their  previous  plots,  all  was  kept  very  quiet.  The 
plan  was  to  kill  my  wife,  our  children  and  myself,  and, 
as  in  the  former  plots,  then  all  the  teachers.  One  night, 
about  ten  o'clock,  Mrs.  Robertson  was  just  going  to  bed 
in  a  room  that  is  now  our  dining-room,  and  has  two 
windows  on  each  side  of  it.  She  had  been  some  time  in 
the  room  when  she  noticed  that  the  blind  on  one  of 
the  windows  was  not  properly  drawn.  Just  as  she  went 
to  pull  it  down,  she  saw,  to  her  horror,  a  dark  face  peer- 
ing up  at  her — the  face  of  a  man  crouching  just  below 
on  the  outside.  She  said  she  was  so  taken  aback  and 
alarmed  that  she  sprang  right  back  to  the  centre  of 
the  room,  and  in  a  moment  had  called  to  me  in  as  quiet 
and  controlled  a  voice  as  she  could  manage.  I  was 
developing  photographs  in  a  room  near,  and,  feeling 
sure  my  wife  had  seen  a  rat  or  something  equally  harm- 
less, I  laughed  back  to  her.  When,  in  another  second  or 
so,  I  heard  her  say,  "  There  is  a  man  under  the  window," 
it  did  not  take  me  long  to  reach  the  room.  He  had 
disappeared  from  his  hiding-place,  and  I  was  for  going 
at  once  out,  but  my  wife  would  not  hear  of  it.  Then 
I  took  the  big  dinner-bell,  and,  going  to  the  door  of 
my  medicine-room,  rang  it  very  loudly.  Immediately 
men  came  hurrying  down ;  as  they  ran,  they  tied  their 
bows  to  be  in  readiness,  and  all  had  some  weapon,  for 
they  guessed  that  something  serious  had  happened. 
Below  the  window  of  the  room  they  found  the  foot- 
prints of  tzvo  men,  and  the  next  day  tracked  these 
through  our  garden  and  the  church  grounds  right  down 
to  the  shore  at  Umpon-lu.  There  a  canoe  had  evidently 
been  lying,  and  had  not  long  been  taken  away.  Our 
people  were  furious,  and  the  would-be  murderers  would 
have  fared  badly  had  they  fallen  into  their  hands  that 


428  ERROMANGA 

night.  All  agreed  that  one  pair  of  footsteps  belonged 
to  Novwai  Namri,  of  Sufa.  Some  men  were  despatched 
to  his  village  to  find  out  about  this.  Novwai  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen,  but  a  woman  there,  told  our  men  that,  with  a 
friend,  he  had  left  Sufa  the  evening  before  in  a  canoe, 
saying  that  he  was  going  to  Unepang.  We  never  found 
out  who  the  second  man  was,  probably  he  was  a 
southerner,  but  we  had  no  doubt  that  old  Novwai 
Namri,  who  had  professed  the  greatest  friendliness 
for  us,  was  the  first,  though  nothing  could  be  proved 
against  him.  They  knew  that  I  often  worked  at  night, 
developing  photographs,  and  that  I  might  be  opening 
the  door  to  throw  out  water,  and  no  doubt  they  laid  their 
plans  accordingly.  When  they  saw  the  light  in  Mrs. 
Robertson's  room,  they  probably  slipped  along  there  to 
see  if  that  would  be  a  handier  place  to  enter.  This  was 
the  last  attempt  ever  made  on  Erromanga  to  take  our 
lives.  The  "  Martyr  Isle,"  I  think  we  may  truly  say, 
has  been  won  for  Christ,  and  though  there  are  still  a 
few  scattered  heathen,  we  trust  and  pray  that  they,  too, 
may  soon  give  their  hearts  to  Him.  Though  during  the 
last  ten  years  or  so  there  has  not  been  the  excitement 
and,  perhaps,  the  cheer  of  the  earlier  years,  the  work  is 
going  on  just  the  same,  and  though  quiet,  is,  I  believe, 
lasting.  The  steady  upbuilding  of  our  Erromangan 
Church,  that  is  the  duty  that  now  lies  before  us  and  our 
people. 

Meantime  the  work  on  the  other  islands  has  gone 
on  apace.  When  our  second  Dayspring  became  too 
small  and  slow  for  the  increasing  wants  of  the  Mission 
she  was  sold,  and,  in  1890,  the  Mission  made  arrange- 
ments for  a  steam  service  from  Sydney,  giving  a  stated 
sum  to  a  Sydney  Company  to  do  the  work.  The 
steamer  Dayspring,  built  by  Messrs.  Mackie  and  Thom- 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  429 

son,  of  Govan  on  the  Clyde — the  money  raised  for  the 
purpose  being  collected  by  Dr.  Paton — did  our  work 
during  part  of  1896,  but,  being  wrecked  on  a  reef  off 
New  Caledonia  in  October  of  that  year,  it  was  de- 
cided at  the  meeting  of  Synod  that  we  should  give  up 
the  idea  of  having  another  steamer  built  to  take  her 
place. 

The  maritime  work  of  the  Mission  is  at  present  done 
by  Messrs.  Burns,  Philp  &  Co.,  of  Sydney,  the  s.s.  Mam- 
bare,  1,218  tons,  being  the  New  Hebrides  boat. 

Some  time  ago  I  asked  Mr.  Wallis  Tanner,  then 
Island  Manager  for  the  Company,  if  he  would  give  me  a 
short  account  of  the  state  of  trade  in  the  group,  and  he 
kindly  sent  the  following  figures,  at  the  same  time  say- 
ing that  "  The  information  is  only  approximate ;  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  obtain  figures  that  are  perfectly 
reliable,  but  from  my  knowledge  of  the  different  estates 
and  the  amount  of  business  which  has  been  done  through 
my  Company,  I  think  the  figures  given  are  as  near  as  it 
is  possible  to  obtain  ". 

APPROXIMATE  TOTALS  FOR  YEAR  1898. 

Imports. 

General  Merchandise — British _£'i2,ooo 

„  „  French    .....  6,000 

Total     .         .     ;^i8,ooo 

Coal,  800  tons      ........      _£'i,2oo 

Timber        .........  400 

Exports. 

Bananas,  36,000  bunches     ..••••  ;^6oo 

Maize,  4,000  sacks 1,250 

Copra,  2,000  tons 16,000 

Coffee,  130  tons  ........  6,000 

Beche-de-mer,  4  tons  .......  400 

The  market  price  of  nearly  all  exports  during  1898  was  considerably 


430  ERROMANGA 

lower  than  previous  years  ;  the  figures  given  are  low  approximates,  rather 
than  high. 

Plantations,  36. — French  companies  hold  the  largest ;  the  value  is  hard 
to  arrive  at ;  allowing  10  per  cent,  profit  made  during  the  year  on  the 
output,  the  value  would  be  about  ;i^25,ooo;  there  are  a  number  of  expen- 
sive buildings  on  the  property  which  would  probably  increase  the  value 
in  the  owners'  estimation  ;  employees  number  24  white,  and  180  coloured. 

F.  Chevillard's  plantation,  valued  at    .         .         .         .  ;^8,ooo 

R.  Stuart's  plantation,  valued  at           ....  10,500 

Glissan  and  Wardlaw  plantation,  valued  at         .        .  8,000 

Roche  Bros,  plantation,  valued  at        .         ...  8,000 

The  other  thirty  average  about  ;£'r,ooo  each. 

Total  value  of  plantations,  ;^89,5oo.  Coloured  labour  employed  in  all 
about  600. 

The  French  companies  work  coffee-cleaning  machinery  by  kerosene 
engine,  the  other  plantations  by  hand-gear. 

The  number  of  residents  in  the  group,  as  compiled  by  F.  Chevillard 
and  myself,  is :  British  126,  French  160,  Foreign  42.     Total  328. 


Vessels. 

Total 
Tonnage. 

Steam— British,  1  . 

.     800  tons     Sailing — British,  7  . 

.      140  tons 

„         French,  i  . 

.     400  tons          „          French,  5 

.     139  tons 

British  employ  in  all  20  men  of  white  crew,  36  of  black  crew. 

French  employ  in  all  18  men  of  white  crew,  36  of  black  crew. 

During  the  year  the  British  had  on  an  average  another  steamer  of 
1,200  tons  running,  employing  18  white  and  8  coloured  crew. 

The  French  also  had  a  steamer  of  goo  tons,  employing  14  white  and 
8  coloured  crew. 

Value  of  ships  now  running,  £16,200. 

The  following  are  the  approximate  statistics  for  the 
year  1900 :  — 

Approximate    British  and   French   Imports,    Exports,   etc.,   for 
THE  Year  1900. 


British. 

French. 

Imports— 

General  Merchandise  . 
Coal,  500  tons,  value   . 
Timber 

;f  20,000 
1,000 

Imports — 

General  Merchandise 

Coal 

Timber 

No  statis- 
tics   ob- 
tainable. 

OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA 


431 


British. 

Exports — 

Bananas,io,ooo  bnchs., 

value    about    gd.    a 

bunch       .         .         .  ;C375 

Maize,    10,000     sacks, 

value  about   8s.  per 

sack  .         .         .  4.000 

Copra, 1, 500  tons,  value, 

average  £8  per  ton   .        12,000 
Coffee,  40  tons,  value 

about  £40  per  ton    .  1,600 

Sundry  produce,  about 

50  tons,  say      .         .  1,000 

Population — 

British  residents  ^         •  i?^ 

Vessels — 

Steam,  2— tonnage  1,998  tons. 
Sailing,  9— tonnage  228  tons. 
Crews  —  steam,    42    whites,    26 

blacks;  sailing,    18  whites,  40 

blacks. 


French. 
Exports — 

Bananas,  5,000  bnchs., 

value    about    gd.    a 

bunch       .         .         .  £187  los. 
Maize,     5,000     sacks, 

value  about   8s.  per 

sack 
Copra,  500  tons,  value, 

average  £'6  per  ton  . 
Coffee,  120  tons,  value 

about  £40  per  ton    . 
Sundry  produce  . 


;;^2,000 

4,000 

4,800 
? 


Population — 

French  residents. 


297 


Vessels — 

Steam,  2 — tonnage  600  tons. 
Sailing  (over  10  tons),  2 — tonnage 

160  tons. 
Crews  —  steam,    12    whites,    40 

blacks  ;    sailing,  3  whites,    20 

blacks. 

So  far  as  to  the  statistics  of  the  trade  of  the  New 
Hebrides. 

In  conclusion,  I  have  to  thank  Bishop  Wilson,  of  the 
Melanesian  Mission,  for  the  following  interesting  account 
of  their  work  in  the  New  Hebrides;  for  three  of  the 
northern  islands  are  worked  by  the  English  Church 
missionaries. 

"  The  Melanesian  Mission  was  founded  in  1 849  by 
Bishop  Selwyn,  of  New  Zealand.  His  scheme  of  work 
was  to  raise  up  gradually  a  band  of  native  teachers,  who 
should  be  the  missionaries  to  their  people.  For  this 
purpose  a  mission  school  was  founded  near  Auckland, 
and  afterwards,  in  order  to  be  nearer  the  islands,  at 
Norfolk  Island,  and  here  boys  and  girls  were  brought 
from  the  New  Hebrides,  Banks,  Torres,  Santa  Cruz  and 


» This  number  includes  all  foreign  nationalities  except  the  French, 


432  ERROMANGA 

Solomon  Islands,  and  kept  and  taught  for  eight  or  nine 
years,  when  they  returned  to  their  own  islands  or  those 
of  others.  The  story  of  Patteson  is  well  known.  From 
1855  to  1 87 1,  he  went  in  and  out  amongst  the  islands, 
laying  down  his  life  in  the  Santa  Cruz  group  in  1871. 

"  The  death  of  the  Bishop  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Mission  was  a  blow  from  which,  for  the  time,  it  reeled. 
The  natives  were  ready  to  believe  that  work  would  now 
cease.  However,  George  Sarawia  and  other  native 
teachers  went  about  reassuring  the  people,  saying,  "  This 
is  the  work  of  God,  and  therefore  it  cannot  fail ".  There 
were  barely  four  hundred  native  Christians  when  Patte- 
son died  in  1871.  There  are  now  13,000,  and  many 
more  heathen,  who  are  touched  by  Christianity  and  are 
attending  the  schools  and  services  of  the  Church,  and 
are  following  to  some  extent  the  teachings  of  Christ. 

"  John  Richardson  Selwyn,  the  son  of  the  first  Bishop, 
succeeded  Patteson  in  1877,  and  retired  owing  to  sick- 
ness and  lameness  in  1 091.  In  his  time,  the  Nukapa 
and  Santa  Cruz  natives  were  visited  and  made  friends 
with.  Schools  were  established  in  Santa  Cruz  and  the 
Torres  Islands,  and  Florida,  one  of  the  worst  of  the 
head-hunting  islands  of  the  Solomon  group,  was  won  to 
Christianity.  In  this  last  island  there  are  now  5,000 
Christians.  Mr.  Woodford,  the  Deputy  Commissioner 
for  the  Solomons,  has  taken  up  his  residence  there,  and 
the  island  is  likely  to  become  a  centre  of  civilisation 
and  focus  of  light  for  the  Solomons.  A  central  training 
school  was  established  at  Siotu  in  1895.  Here  Dr. 
Welchman  has  a  dispensary,  and  at  an  early  date  will 
also  have  an  hospital.  The  Rev.  R.  B.  Comins  or  Dr. 
Welchman  is  in  constant  residence  at  this  centre.  The 
other  Mission  stations  are  visited  by  the  white  clergy 
during  six  or  seven  months  of  the  year,  and  are  then 
left  to  the  native  clergy  and  teachers  in  the  hope  that 


OUR  VISIT  TO  CANADA  433 

thus  a  native  church,  independent  of  ourselves,  will  be 
built  up. 

"  The  Banks  group  (nine  islands)  is  perhaps  the  scene 
of  the  Mission's  greatest  success,  but  since  1891  a  change 
has  come  over  the  three  New  Hebrides  Islands  (Aurora, 
Lepers'  Island  and  Pentecost)  which  the  Mission  works. 
Patteson  found  the  people  less  inclined  to  receive  the 
new  teaching  than  the  Banks  Islanders.  Until  1891 
progress  was  slow,  but  each  year  now  sees  new  villages 
accepting  the  '  teaching '  and  begging  for  teachers. 
There  are  now  twenty-six  schools  and  sixty  teachers 
in  Pentecost ;  nineteen  schools  and  thirty-four  teachers 
on  Lepers'  Island ;  and  nine  schools  and  twenty-eight 
teachers  on  Aurora.  Of  an  estimated  population  of 
13,000  in  these  three  islands,  2,000  are  attending  schools. 
"  Yours  very  truly, 

"Cecil  Wilson, 

"  Bishop  of  Melanesia." 

Our  own  Presbyterian  Mission  has,  on  Ambrim,  a 
well-built  hospital  for  the  accommodation  of  both  white 
and  black  patients.  This  was  commenced  in  1893  by 
Dr.  Lamb,  the  missionary  of  the  New  Zealand  Church, 
and,  since  his  retirement  in  ill-health  in  1898,  Dr.  John 
T.  Bowie  has  had  the  superintendence  of  the  work. 
The  hospital  has  been  a  great  boon  to  many  already, 
and  we  feel  sure  will  be  even  more  so  in  the  future. 

The  Training  Institute  for  the  instruction  of  native 
teachers  was  opened  on  the  18th  March,  1895,  with  seven 
pupils.  The  Rev.  J.  Annand,  M.A.,  D.D.,  the  mission- 
ary of  our  Canadian  Church,  is  the  Principal.  In  1898, 
the  number  of  students  had  risen  to  sixty-three.  They 
stay  four  years  and  are  then  sent  back  to  their  mis- 
sionaries to  do  work  on  their  own  islands  or  others. 
To-day    we    have    twenty-five    European    missionaries, 


434  ERROMANGA 

occupying  nearly  all  the  islands  between  Aneityum 
south  and  Santo  north,  and  from  ten  to  twelve  European 
assistants,  two  native  pastors,  about  four  hundred  native 
teachers,  and,  perhaps,  three  thousand  Church  members. 
Portions  of  Scripture  have  been  translated  and  printed 
in  all  the  different  languages,  while  the  complete  New 
Testament  has  been  printed  in  Efatese,  Aniwan,  and 
one  dialect  of  Tanna,  and  the  entire  Bible  in  Aneit- 
yumese.  By  means  of  missionary  effort  life  and  pro- 
perty are  comparatively  safe  over  the  whole  group. 
Eight  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  are  repre- 
sented in  the  Mission,  and  the  work  done  by  all  their 
missionaries  is  a  faithful  and  lasting  one. 

In  view  of  all  this  extension,  this  rapid  and  encourag- 
ing success  of  our  Mission,  the  Churches  have  every 
reason  to  go  forward  with  redoubled  energy  and  to 
press  on  with  earnest  and  constant  prayer  to  God  for 
His  blessing,  till  all  shall  receive  the  truth  in  the  love 
of  it. 

As  Churches  and  as  a  Mission,  as  well  as  individual 
missionaries,  we  shall  meet  with  difficulties  and  disap- 
pointments. But  success  is  already  assured,  and  we 
cannot — dare  not — doubt  the  final  success.  "  They  that 
go  forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless 
return  bringing  their  sheaves  with  them."  "  As  truly  as 
I  live,  the  whole  earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  glory  of 
God." 

In  the  strength  of  God,  let  us  therefore  go  forward 
doing  our  duty  faithfully,  not  only  here  but  wherever  He 
has  called  us  to  work,  so  that  we  may  soon  see  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdoms  of  our 
Lord  and  of  His  Christ. 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS. 

IS"  These  notes  are  intended  to  explain  some  things  in  the  text  which 
could  not  well  be  explained  there  without  interrupting  the  narrative.  As 
the  same  thing  is  sometimes  mentioned  in  different  chapters,  I  have 
repeated  the  reference  wherever  it  is  necessary  to  do  so. 

J.F. 


CHAPTER  I. 

'  Numpun-Norowo  :  "  the  head  of  Norowo  "  ;  Numpun-Neraipau,  "  the 
head  of  Neraipau  ". 

^  Lo-itnateman  :  "  the  kingdom  of  men  ". 

'  In  a  bamboo. — In  India  and  other  tropical  countries,  where  it  grows 
to  a  great  height  and  some  thickness,  the  bamboo  is  put  to  many  useful 
purposes  when  cut  down.  As  it  is  one  of  the  Grasses,  its  stalk  grows  in 
jointed  sections  and  is  hollow  throughout,  except  at  the  joints.  If  one 
of  these  sections  is  sawn  through  and  the  joint  left  at  one  end  of  it,  the 
section  becomes  a  long  but  narrow  water  bucket ;  if  the  piece  sawn  off 
contains  three  or  four  sections  and  the  inside  portion  of  the  upper  joints 
is  punched  out,  the  bucket  will  hold  a  considerable  quantity  of  water ;  if 
all  the  joints  are  punched  out,  the  bamboo  becomes  a  water-pipe. 

*  Their  behaviour. — As  appears  further  on,  they  regarded  him  as  a  god 
or  spirit-being  come  to  visit  them.  Such  a  belief  is  common  among  the 
dark  races  on  their  first  contact  with  white  men.  The  Samoans  still  call 
all  foreigners  papdlaiigi,  which  is  said  to  mean  "  bursting  through  the 
sky  ". 

CHAPTER  II. 

1  Yellow  men. — Rotumah  is  a  small  island  to  the  north  of  the  Fiji 
group.  The  natives  are  not  exactly  "  yellow  "  men,  for  they  belong  to 
the  brown  Polynesian  stock ;  but  native  languages  in  their  rude  stage  do 
not  often  distinguish  the  grades  of  colour. 

2  Rev.  Dr.  Steel. — See  note  14,  chap,  iv.,  and  note  6,  chap.  v. 

^  Navilah.— These  are  stones,  large  and  small,  of  peculiar  shape  or 

(435) 


436  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 

origin,  in  \shich  some  supernatural  power  is  supposed  to  reside  because 
of  their  connection  with  a  spirit  or  spirits  ;  the  Samoans  would  call  them 
"mana"  stones.  Our  natives  of  Australia  carry  small  stones  of  that 
kind  on  their  persons  to  protect  them  from  evil. 

••Rev.  Dr.  Turner. — That  was  the  Rev.  George  Turner,  LL.D.  (author 
o{  Samoa  a  HnuJred  Years  Ago,  etc.),  who  laboured  so  long  as  a  mission- 
ary in  the  South  Seas. 

*  Weather-boarded  houses. — See  note  3,  chap.  xvi. 

^  Trial  and  danger. — For  a  full  account  of  this  time  of  peril,  refer  to 
Dr.  Paton's  Autobiography,  vol.  i.,  chap,  x.,  of  sixth  edition. 

^Loyalty  Group. — A  dependency  of  the  French  colony  of  New  Cale- 
donia.    See  map  of  the  South-West  Pacific. 

^  Red  ochre. — Among  our  Australian  tribes  that  is  in  great  request  for 
the  decoration  of  the  bodies  of  the  men  on  public  occasions,  such  as  the 
karabari  or  native  dance,  which,  however,  is  of  a  semi-religious  nature. 
Wherever  a  deposit  of  that  earth  is  known  to  exist,  a  tribe  will  send 
messengers  to  it  for  hundreds  of  miles,  even  through  hostile  territory,  to 
get  a  supply. 

*  Lifu  is  one  of  the  islands  of  the  Loyalty  group,  on  the  east  coast  of 
New  Caledonia,  and  Sandwich  Island  is  Efate  of  the  New  Hebrides. 

i*The  people  of  Santo  are  much  milder  in  their  disposition  than  those 
of  the  southern  New  Hebrides  ;  but  often  the  attitude  of  native  tribes 
everywhere  towards  white  visitors  is  influenced  by  the  kind  of  experience 
they  had  of  the  white  men  who  first  came  to  them. 

^1  The  brown  Polynesians  are  the  inhabitants  of  all  the  islands  in  the 
Pacific  eastwards  from  Fiji.  They  are  often  called  Malays,  but  they  are 
in  no  respect  Malays. 

12"  Mothers." — -Uncivilised  tribes  and  nations  have  not  specialised 
their  words  of  relationship.  A  man  calls  his  mother's  sister  his  mother, 
but  the  one  who  gave  him  birth  is  his  '  own  mother '.  So  also  an  uncle 
is  caWedfathtr. 

1^"  Property." — See  note  5,  chap.  iv. 

^* Dayspriiig. — See  note  i,  chap.  v. 

1'"  Misi  " — so  much  used  in  the  New  Hebrides — was  originally  a  con- 
traction for  "  missionary,"  and  was  addressed  by  the  natives  to  him  only. 
It  is  generally  used  in  that  way  still,  but  when  they  find  some  other 
Englishman's  name  hard  for  them  to  pronounce,  they  say  Misi  to  him, 
only  however  when  he  is  a  man  whom  they  honour  and  respect ;  if  they 
do  not,  they  call  him  merely  "  white  man  ".  Hence  "  MJsi "  is  some- 
times used  now  for  our  Mr.,  and  "  Misis  "  for  Mrs. 

16 1<  Pair  complexion." — From  his  Polynesian  blood. 

""  Labour  men." — See  note  7,  chap.  xiii. 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS  437 


CHAPTER  III. 

'  "  Teachers." — See  note  6,  chap.  iv. 

^Camdrn. — See  note  2,  chap.  iv. 

'  Shell. — This  is  the  great  conch  shell  used  as  a  trumpet  for  alarm 
and  for  war. 

*"  Feast." — These  feasts  of  heathen  lands  are  essentially  religious, 
and  had  their  origin  in  connection  with  sacrifice.  I  am  of  opinion  that 
cannibalism  originated  among  those  peoples  that  offered  human  sacrifices; 
the  worshippers  partake  of  the  thing  oftered.  An  annual  feast,  such  as 
the  one  referred  to  in  this  chapter  and  place,  is  usually  in  honour  of  some 
great  god.  The  Australian  tribes  held  one  such  for  Ba-ye-mai,  their  great 
creator-god. 

In  Erromanga,  these  sacred  feasts  are  called  nisekar,  and  are  often 
mentioned  in  the  succeeding  chapters  of  this  volume. 

^"  The  Bush." — A  colonial  phrase  to  mean  all  the  timbered  parts  of 
the  country,  not  yet  cleared. 

® "  They  have  nothing";  that  is,  "they  are  unarmed";  nindevavn 
means  "of  no  account,"  "  only  children  ". 

"•  Nobii  is  "  a  god " — one  of  the  great  spirits  whom  the  natives 
reverence  or  fear. 

''  They  called  in  "  only  ". — This  is  a  native  expression  to  mean  that 
they  had  come  in  "  merely  "  as  visitors  to  look  around,  with  no  intention 
to  do  wrong. 

"  "  Isle  of  Pines." — At  the  south  end  of  New  Caledonia. 

^""Mulua." — A  missionary  station  of  the  L.  M.  Society  in  Samoa 
where  there  is  a  college  for  the  training  of  native  teachers. 

11 "  Mare  and  Lifu." — Of  the  Loyalty  Islands.     See  note  9,  chap.  ii. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

^  The  Rev.  James  Bayne,  afterwards  Dr.  Bayne,  was  at  this  time 
Convener  of  the  Foreign  Missions  Committee  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Nova  Scotia,  and  continued  to  be  so  till  his  death  about  the  year 
1875. 

^yohn  Williams. — The  London  Missionary  Society  has  now  had  fotir 
vessels,  each  bearing  the  name  of  yohn  Williams,  and  employed  in  visiting 
their  many  stations  on  the  islands  of  the  South  Seas,  and  conveying 
missionaries  and  stores.  The  first  John  Williams  was  the  brig  Camden, 
which  took  Messrs.  Williams  and  Harris  to  Erromanga.  In  memory  of 
them,  she  was  afterwards  called  the  yohn  Williams.  She  was  wTecked 
on  the  reef  at  Niu6  or  Savage  Island  in  1864,  as  stated  in  this  volume, 
and  her  successor  on  the  same  reef  in  1866.  A  new  vessel  was  then  built, 
and  when  she  too  was  wrecked,  the  present  John  Williams  was  built, 


43^  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 

but  with  "auxiliary  steam,"  to  avoid  the  risks  and  dangers  experienced 
in  the  past. 

•*  Geddie  and  Inglis.     See  chap.  v. 

*  jfohti  Knox. — Until  a  year  or  two  ago,  the  Mission  Synod  of  the 
New  Hebrides  has  been  obliged  to  maintain  a  mission  vessel  to  bring 
supplies  of  various  kinds  from  Sydney  to  the  mission  stations  on  the 
various  islands,  to  carry  missionaries  and  teachers  to  the  islands  or  stations 
to  which  they  were  appointed,  to  bring  the  missionaries  from  these 
stations  to  the  place  of  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Synod,  and  to  carry 
them  back  to  their  homes  when  the  Meeting  was  over,  besides  other 
incidental  services  which  a  large  work  on  such  a  group  of  islands  always 
imposes.  In  the  early  times  the  mission  vessel  came  to  Sydney  once  a 
year,  and  carried  back  stores  and  the  post-office  mails  to  the  missionaries 
once  a  year.  Occasionally,  an  opportunity  might  occur  of  sending  the 
mails  by  a  stray  trading  vessel  or  by  one  of  H.M.'s  ships  of  war;  but 
these  means  were  always  uncertain.  At  the  present  day,  the  develop- 
ment of  the  islands  solely  through  the  work  of  the  mission  is  such  that  a 
steamship  company  of  Sydney  sends  a  steamer  of  over  i,ooo  tons  every 
second  month  to  the  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides,  and  the  trade  of  these 
islands  is  increasing  so  rapidly  that  the  company  purposes  shortly  to  lay 
on  a  steamer  every  month.  That  is  entirely  a  commercial  enterprise,  and 
the  business  men  in  Sydney  who  are  making  gain  in  this  way  have 
Christian  missions  to  thank  for  these  gains  ;  for  the  Christianising  of  the 
natives  has  made  trade  possible  and  safe. 

The  very  first  mission  craft  was  a  big  boat  of  only  a  few  tons ;  her 
name  was  the  Columbia.  The  next,  called  the  jfohn  Knox,  was  built  in 
Scotland  for  the  mission,  and  brought  to  Sydney  on  the  deck  of  a  sailing 
ship.  From  Sydney  a  sailor  of  the  yohn  Williatns'  crew  took  her  to 
Aneityum.  She  was  about  twelve  tons  burden.  The  first  Dayspring 
was  115  tons,  the  second  was  160  tons,  and  the  third  was  the  steamer 
lost  off  New  Caledonia  in  1894. 

^  In  the  Samoan  islands,  tonga,  "  native  property,"  included  mats, 
native  cloths,  hooks  and  lines  for  fishing,  shells,  etc. — everything  that  a 
native  looks  on  as  his  personal  "  belongings  ".  That  is  the  meaning  of 
the  word  "  property  "  in  this  passage. 

®  "  Eastern  teachers." — These  were  Samoans  and  others  from  Eastern 
Polynesia,  who,  as  the  fruits  of  mission  labour  there,  often  volunteered  to 
carry  the  Gospel  to  heathen  islands  in  Oceania. 

"  "  Sacred  men." — These  are  the  sorcerers  or  wizards — so  well  known 
among  the  Australians  and  everywhere  among  the  black  races — who  bring 
evil  upon  men  by  the  aid  of  the  spirits.     See  chap.  xix. 

*  Santa  Cruz  is  an  island  and  group  to  the  north  of  the  New  Hebrides. 
**  Captain  Hedley  Vicars. — See  Memorials  of  Captain  Hedley  Vicars, 

by  the  author  of  the  Victory  Won.     London  :  Jas.  Nisbet  &  Co.,  1859. 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS  439 

'"  "  Its  inroads." — In  practice,  the  heathen,  especially  those  of  the  black 
race,  are  fatalists ;  to  them,  any  virulent  disease  comes  from  the  male- 
volence of  some  god  or  spirit,  and  it  is  useless  to  strive  against  it. 

"  "  Broken  up — Mrs.  Paton — flight." — For  a  full  account  of  all  these 
painful  events,  see  the  Autobiography  of  Dr.  John  G.  Paten,  Missionary 
to  the  New  Hebrides,  vol.  i.,  chap.  x.  London  :  Hodder  &  Stoughton, 
i8go. 

^'^Mr.  Copeland. — See  note  4,  chap.  xi. 

'^  "  Joe  and  Mana  "  were  two  Erromangans  who,  when  heathen  lads, 
had  been  taken  by  the  jfohn  Williams  to  Samoa  some  years  before  this 
time.  In  Samoa  they  had  come  under  the  influence  of  the  Gospel,  and, 
on  their  return  to  the  New  Hebrides,  Dr.  Geddie  baptised  them  as  the 
"  first-fruits  "  of  Erromanga. 

"  See  The  New  Hebrides  and  Christian  Missions,  by  Rev.  Robt.  Steel, 
Ph.D.  London,  1880.  Dr.  Steel  was  the  well-known  minister  of  St. 
Stephen's  Presbyterian  Church,  Sydney. 

CHAPTER  V. 

^  The  first  Dayspring  left  Halifax  (Nova  Scotia)  on  7th  Nov.,  1863, 
for  the  New  Hebrides,  calling  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Melbourne, 
Geelong,  and  then  on  to  Sydney.  She  was  built  in  New  Glasgow,  Nova 
Scotia,  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Carmichael,  and  cost  about  ;^3,ooo.  See  also  Rev. 
Dr.  Paton's  Autobiography  (London:  Hodder  &  Stoughton),  mentioned 
in  note  11,  chap.  iv. 

^  William  A.  Eraser  was  a  Nova-Scotian,  and  from  its  famous  county 
of  Pictou,  which  has  given  Sir  William  Dawson  and  Principal  George 
Monro  Grant  to  science  and  education,  and  such  men  as  Geddie, 
Matheson,  Grant,  Murray,  Morton,  Mackenzie  and  Robertson  to  the 
foreign  mission  field.     Grant  and  Morton  went  to  Trinidad. 

^  "  The  children's  ship." — For  the  way  in  which  the  children  were  led 
to  an  interest  in  this  missionary  ship,  see  Dr.  Paton's  Autobiography , 
vol.  ii.,  as  above. 

*  Robert  Morgan  was  his  name.  The  ship's  flag  bore  on  it  the  dove 
as  the  symbol  of  the  mission.  Captain  Williams  came  after  Captain  Mor- 
gan, and  Captain  Turpie  after  him, 

5  Lava-lava  is  the  loin-cloth  of  the  men  ;  the  name  is  Samoan,  and 
was  brought  to  the  southern  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides  by  the  "  Eastern 
teachers,"  mentioned  in  note  6,  chap.  iv.  The  native  Erromangan  name 
for  it  is  neto-etingi. 

'  Rev.  Dr.  Steel  (see  note  14,  chap,  iv.)  had  at  that  time  no  connection 
vnth  the  New  Hebrides  Mission,  but  was  a  warm  friend  of  foreign 
missions  and  of  all  Christian  movements  for  good.  When  the  Presby- 
terian Churches  in  New  South  Wales  became  united,  he  was  for  many 


440  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 

years  a  useful  member  of  the  Dayspring  Board  in  Sydney,  and  acted 
as  agent  for  the  mission. 

'  "  Storm-rigging." — Houses  in  these  islands  are  covered  with  thatch 
of  sugar-cane  leaf.  When  the  hurricane  season  of  the  year  is  approaching, 
it  is  necessary  to  have  the  thatch  held  down  by  heavy  poles  of  timber  laid 
along  above  it  and  securely  fastened  down. 

*  Lazarus  was  a  mission  teacher  on  Aneityum  and  himself  a  native  of 
the  island. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

^  "  Collect  money." — See  Dr.  Paton's  Autobiography,  chap,  iii.,  vol.  ii., 

mentioned  in  note  ii,  chap.  iv. 

2 "Sunday  Schools." — All  that  is  narrated  fully  in  Dr.  Paton's  book, 
vol.  ii. 

•*  Rev.  James  Chalmers.^ — This  devoted  missionary  to  the  Papuans  lost 
his  life  in  the  beginning  of  last  year,  while  visiting  for  the  first  time  the 
tribes  on  one  of  the  rivers  in  the  west  of  British  New  Guinea. 

*  The  Rev.  William  Mclntyre,  M.A.,  came  originally  from  the  Western 
Highlands  of  Scotland,  and  was  settled  as  minister  of  the  Presbyterian 
Congregation  at  West  Maitland,  New  South  Wales,  about  the  year  1842, 
where  he  laboured  for  over  twenty  years.  He  was  then  translated  to  St. 
George's  Church,  Sydney.  He  was  well-known  for  his  high  character 
and  the  liberal  use  he  made  of  his  wealth. 

''"Kirk." — The  Presbyterian  Churches  in  Canada  were  at  that  date  not 
yet  united. 

^  Lathella's  ploughing  cattle  were  given  to  him  by  Dr.  Geddie's  family, 
when  the  beasts  were  quite  young. 

''  Taro  is  the  arum  esctilenttim  of  botanists,  the  colocasia  antiquorum, 
and  may  be  regarded,  in  some  of  its  varieties,  as  the  best  article  of  native 
food  throughout  the  South  Sea  Islands.  It  is  cooked  in  the  native  ovens 
which  are  small  pits  made  in  the  ground. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

*  "  Sacred  men." — See  note  7,  chap.  iv. 

""High  chief." — As  in  Samoa,  so  also  in  some  islands  of  the  New 
Hebrides,  there  are  chiefs  and  high  chiefs  ;  the  latter  are  considered  men 
of  exalted  dignity  and  cannot  be  easily  approached  direct.  In  Samoa 
there  is  "  chief's  "  language  ;  that  is,  certain  words  which  are  good  enough 
in  ordinary  conversation  must  not  be  used  when  you  are  speaking  to  a 
chief:  etiquette  requires  you  to  substitute  certain  other  words  for  them  ;  and 
to  a  high  chief  still  another  set  of  words  must  be  used  for  common  things. 

^  Yomot.  —See  his  history  in  chap.  xvii. 

*Dr.  Turner. — See  note  4,  chap.  ii. 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS  441 

' "  Father." — In  some  of  the  New  Hebrides  islands,  an  uncle  is 
addressed  as  "  father  ".  So  also  among  the  Australian  tribes.  In  the 
islands,  a  child  makes  a  distinction  between  his  "mother"  (uncle's  wife) 
and  "  his  own  mother,"  who  gave  him  birth.      See  note  12,  chap.  ii. 

8  These  Santoans  are  the  only  people  in  the  New  Hebrides  who  make 
pottery.     Quiros  found  them  making  it  in  a.d.  1606. 

■"'Image  of  the  moon." — In  Australia  the  chief  of  a  tribe  in  the 
settled  districts  used  to  wear  on  his  breast  a  brass  plate  shaped  in  the 
form  of  a  crescent  moon,  given  to  him  by  the  colonists  as  a  sign  of  his 
rank. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1  The  "  siman-lo  "  is  a  long  and  lofty  erection  shaped  like  the  frame  of 
a  covered  waggon,  in  which  cooking  is  done  and  feasts  are  held.  It  is 
sometimes  also  the  sleeping  place  of  the  young  men  at  night — their 
barracks  or  bachelors'  hall ;  but  the  proper  sleeping  houses  for  them  are 
ridge-roofed,  on  upright  walls.     For  the  siman-lo,  see  illustration. 

!2"  Ifwa." — This  incident  is  a  signal  proof  that  a  simple  act  of  kindness 
done  to  a  savage  is  not  forgotten.  Many  of  the  atrocities  done  by  savages 
are  only  acts  of  retaliation  for  injuries  previously  received. 

2  "  Pundit."  —See  note  7,  chap.  xvi. 

*  "  Bamboo  bottles." — See  note  3,  chap.  i. 

*"  Rocky  paths." — The  distance  is  over  twenty-five  miles.  See  map 
of  Erromanga,  Robertson's  Road. 

8 "My  pocket  Bible." — See  the  Autobiography,  chap,  x.,  vol.  i.,  as 
above. 

''"  Misi." — See  note  14,  chap.  ii. 

*  Yomot. — See  his  life  in  chap.  xvii. 

^Yarra-Yarra. — This  was  a  strong  whale-boat  of  great  use  to  the 
Erromangan  Mission. 

10 1<  My  own  brother." — See  note  12,  chap.  ii. 

"  "  Feast." — See  note  4,  chap.  iii. 

^2"  Shoot  them." — Yomot  was  an  excellent  shot  with  the  fowling-piece 
and  the  rifle.     See  this  fact  in  his  life,  chap.  xvii. 

1^"  Branch  shining  with  light." — It  is  a  phosphorescent  fungus  that 
gives  the  light.  On  dark,  damp  nights  these  lights  shine  like  fire,  and 
the  natives  pick  up  bits  of  old  wood  covered  with  this  fungus  and  thereby 
light  themselves  along  the  narrow  and  often  dangerous  paths.  If  the 
night  is  dark  but  dry,  they  generally  take  dry  reeds  or  cocoanut  branches, 
tie  them  up  in  bundles  and  use  them  as  torches.  When  lighted,  these 
turn  the  darkness  into  a  very  day  for  brightness,  "  and  when  scores  of 
natives  are  marching  along  in  single  file  on  a  bush  track,  and  every  fifth 
man  or  so  is  carrying  one  of  these  brilliant  liares  of  flame,  the  sight  is 


442  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 

very  pleasing  to  the  onlooker  and  often  very  fantastic".     These  fungus 
lights  sometimes  frighten  the  natives ;  they  then  think  them  to  be  ghosts 
^*Oveteme  Unepang. — "Men  (of)  Unepang." 

CHAPTER  IX. 

^  The  Day  spring  was  now  going  north  to  collect  the  missionaries 
and  bring  them  to  Aneityum  for  the  Annual  Meeting,  which  was  to  be  held 
there  that  year.     See  note  4,  chap.  iv. 

CHAPTER  X. 

1  Labour  vessel. — See  note  7,  chap.  xiii. 

2"  Six  pounds." — This  is  the  usual  amount  of  wages  iti  money  given  to 
a  servant  or  native  teacher  on  the  islands. 

^"  With  his  toes." — I  have  seen  an  Australian  black  lift  a  straw  with 
his  toes  and  thus  convey  it  to  his  hand.  So  also  he  can  pick  up  a  small 
spear  or  other  article.     This  accomplishment  is  useful  in  war. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

1  "Misi"  is  for  "missionary"  as  already  explained.  It  is  now  some- 
times used  for  Mr.  as  a  mark  of  respect. 

2  "  In  danger  "  from  the  operation  of  the  law  of  revenge — the  lex  talionis  : 
"an  eye  for  an  eye".  In  heathenism,  when  a  man  has  been  killed  by 
foul  means,  his  son  or  avengers  seek  out  and  kill  the  slayer  or  at  least 
some  one  of  the  relatives — as  satisfaction  for  the  deed  of  blood.  If  that 
cannot  be  done,  it  is  enough  to  kill  some  one  of  the  tribe  to  which  the 
slayer  belongs.  White  men  were  supposed  to  be  members  all  of  the  same 
tribe.  Hence  in  the  early  history  of  our  natives,  when  a  white  man  had 
at  any  time  caused  the  death  of  a  black,  or  done  any  serious  injury,  the 
natives  took  revenge  on  the  next  white  man  that  came  that  way.  This 
principle  explains  many  instances  of  savage  hostility  on  the  approach  of 
white  men. 

3"  Ipare"  or  Ipat  seems  to  be  the  real  native  name  for  the  island  of 
Tanna ;  for  tanna  or  tana  only  means  "  land  ". 

■*  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paton,  the  missionaries  on  the  little  island  of  Aniwa,  to 
the  east  of  Tanna  ;  Mr.  Paton  is  the  well-known  Dr.  J.  G.  Paton.  Rev. 
Joseph  Copeland  was  for  many  years  missionary  on  the  little  island  of 
Futuna  near  Aniwa;  the  other  is  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Steel,  of  St.  Stephen's 
Church,  Sydney  (see  a  previous  note). 

5  The  late  Rev.  Wm.  Wyatt  Gill,  B.A.,  LL.D.,  was  for  thirty-three 
years  a  missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society — chiefly  at  Man- 
gaia  in  the  Hervey  group  of  the  South  Seas.  He  was  the  author  of 
Myths  and  Songs  from  the  South  Pacific,  Life  in  the  Southern  Isles,  and 
several  other  books. 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS  443 

^  This  Memorial  Church  is  shown  in  one  of  the  illustrations  to  this 
volume.  It  was  blown  down  by  the  great  hurricane  of  the  22nd  of 
January  of  the  year  1901. 

■"'I  saw  Mr.  Gordon." — Our  natives  believe  that  a  man  has  two 
spirits,  the  one  of  which  dies  with  his  death,  but  the  other  lives  on. 
This  spirit  can  leave  the  body  for  a  time  during  life  in  dreams  or  in  a 
trance,  and  visit  persons  and  things  in  the  unseen  world.  If  it  stays 
too  long  away  or  cannot  find  the  way  back,  its  owner  dies. 

**"  Charms  and  sacred  stones."  —  These  are  of  the  same  kind  as  the 
"  greegrees  "  of  the  African.  They  are  used  in  the  rites  of  sorcery 
and  for  protection  against  witchcraft. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

^  "  A  sacred  man,"  that  is,  a  sorcerer,  a  "  medicine  man  ". 

2 "Shouting." — The  natives  seem  to  be  unable  to  get  on  without 
this.  Sometimes,  when  twenty  or  thirty  of  them  are  carrying  a  big 
log,  a  chief  will  seat  himself  aloft  on  it,  and,  by  his  example,  help  them 
to  shout  well  and  in  good  time. 

^  "  Taro  "  ;  this  is  the  arum  esculentum  so  commonly  used  as  a  prime 
article  of  diet  in  the  South  Sea  Islands.  Some  places  produce  a  better 
quality  of  it  than  others.  Taro  and  yams  are  tuberous  food-roots  like 
pumpkins  or  potatoes,  and  are  cooked  by  baking,  or  rather  steaming,  in 
the  native  oven,  which  oven  is  a  big  round  hole  dug  in  the  ground 
having  its  bottom  lined  with  hard  stones.  These  are  made  hot  by  kindling 
billetwood  on  the  top  of  them.  When  they  are  sufficiently  hot,  the  ashes 
are  raked  off.  A  layer  of  damp  grass  is  laid  on  the  stones,  and  on  that 
the  food  to  be  cooked ;  even  a  whole  pig  can  be  cooked  at  once.  Then 
above  that  another  layer  of  grass  or  leaves  is  placed,  and  on  it  some 
more  food,  and  so  on  till  the  oven  is  filled.  It  is  then  covered  all  over 
with  earth  and  ashes,  and  left  so  for  some  hours.  When  the  cook  cries 
"  the  oven  is  uncovered,"  that  is  an  intimation  to  all  that  the  dinner  is 
ready. 

*  "  Native  puddings  "  are  not  like  those  on  our  tables.  They  are  very 
palatable  concoctions  of  pieces  of  taro  with  grated  kernel  of  cocoanut  or 
the  like,  and  are  put  in  strong  leaves  and  baked  in  the  native  oven.  See 
chap.  xix. 

^"  Fan  "  is  an  epithet  of  anything  choice  and  good. 

6  "  Anotlier  wife  sent  him." — A  great  man  gets  a  present  of  a  woman 
from  one  who  admires  h"m,  as  a  mark  of  honour  and  respect. 

^  "  Remain  only." — See  a  previous  note  for  the  native  use  of  this  word 
only.     The  "  only  "  is  sometimes  equivalent  to  "  alone  ", 


444  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

'  "  Pigs,  fowls,  fish,  taro,  yams." — These,  with  bread-fruit  and  bananas, 
are  the  staple  articles  of  food  in  the  Melanesian  and  Polynesian  regions. 
For  "taro  and  yams,"  see  note  3,  chap.  xii. 

^"  Siman-lo." — The  cook-house;  see  a  previous  note. 

^  The  Jiam,  that  is,  "  the  word,"  the  word  of  the  Gospel,  Christianity. 
The  brown  Polynesians  call  it  the  lotu,  "  the  religion  ". 

■•  and  ^  Tampoli  is  "  native  cabbage,"  and  dau  is  "  banana  leaves  ". 

8  "  Mrs.  Lawrie." — The  wife  of  one  of  the  missionaries  then  on  the 
group.  Mr.  Lawrie  is  now  minister  of  a  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Sydney. 

■^ "  The  labour-vessel." — The  growing  of  the  sugar-cane  is  a  valuable 
ndustry  in  Fiji  and  Queensland,  the  tropical  climate  there  being  favour- 
able to  its  growth  and  to  the  making  of  sugar.  But  white  men  do  not 
bear  well  the  necessary  work  in  the  cane  fields  in  the  hot  sun,  or  at  least 
do  not  seem  to  care  to  undertake  the  work ;  hence  it  is  done  mostly  by 
coolies  from  India  and  kanakas  from  Melanesia  and  Polynesia.  Kanaka, 
or  tangata,  is  a  Polynesian  word  for  "  a  man  "  or  "  men  ".  The  demand 
for  kanakas  to  work  in  the  sugar  plantations  for  wages  led  some  ship- 
owners to  employ  their  vessels  in  getting  labourers  from  the  New 
Hebrides  and  other  groups  in  the  Pacific  and  carrying  them  to  Queens- 
land to  be  hired.  The  State  of  Queensland  has  now  a  very  stringent 
law  to  regulate  this  traffic,  but  twenty  years  ago,  and  until  that  humane 
law  was  enacted,  these  "labour-vessels"  were,  many  of  them,  "black- 
birders,"  that  is,  they  caught  and  trapped  black  men,  and  sometimes 
women,  wherever  they  could  find  them.  The  cruelties  and  murders 
perpetrated  on  many  of  the  islands  by  this  trade  are  still  sad  memories 
to  the  natives.  It  is  said  that  even  now  labour  men,  ingenious  in  de- 
ceiving, can  succeed  in  evading  the  law.  But  the  recent  legislation  of 
the  Australian  Commonwealth  is  likely  to  abolish  kanaka  labour  in  a  few 
years. 

8"Misi  is  here". — A  quiet  testimony  to  the  effects  of  Christian 
Missions. 

**  Nate,  nate,  means  "  father,  father  " — a  call  for  help. 

1"  "  To  the  native  mind." — See  note  2,  chap.  xi. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

1 "  Sleep." — The  blacks  of  Australia  throw  off  any  clothing  they  may 
have  and  sleep  thus  around  the  camp  fire. 

2  The  Day  spring  in  those  days  used  to  come  to  Sydney  in  the  end 
of  the  year,  and  lie  in  the  harbour  at  anchor,  and  leave  again  in  April  after 
the  hurricane  season  at  the  islands  was  over. 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS  445 

'"  Six  months."— The  usual  length  of  time  between  the  departure  of 
the  mission  vessel  and  her  return. 

*"  Arrow-root  bulbs." — The  missionaries  have  encouraged  the  natives 
to  cultivate  the  arrow-root  plant,  and  to  grate  down  the  bulbs  and  prepare 
the  product  for  market  by  washing  it  to  the  requisite  whiteness.  The 
flour  is  then  packed  in  casks  and  sent  to  Australia  and  Britain  for  sale.  In 
this  way  the  native  Christians  have  contributed  many  hundreds  of  pounds 
sterling  for  the  printing  of  the  Scriptures  in  their  own  languages. 

^"Perfect  gentleman." — Many  natives  of  Australia,  Melanesia  and 
Polynesia  are  thorough  gentlemen  in  their  bearing  and  demeanour. 
They  have  dignity,  courtesy,  and  perfect  self-possession, 

^Siman-lo. — The  cooking-house;  see  previous  notes. 

"<  Nisekar. — These  were  the  religious  feasts  of  the  heathen  people 
here.     "  The  people  sat  down  to  eat  and  drink  and  rose  up  to  play." 

^"  Bamboo."  —See  note  3,  chap.  i. 

8"  He  was  afraid." — The  experience  of  Dr.  Livingstone  in  Africa  and 
of  travellers  in  other  black  countries  shows  how  frightsome  to  the  natives 
at  first  is  the  appearance  of  a  white  man.  The  blacks  seem  to  regard  him 
as  a  malevolent  resurrected  ghost  who  has  influence  with  the  spirit- 
powers  who  work  for  evil  to  men. 

'""His  pay." — Such  a  cruel  trick  as  that  could  not  be  done  now  un- 
challenged, if  the  kanaka  were  able  to  make  complaint  in  the  proper 
quarter.  The  pay  to  such  a  black  labourer  in  Queensland  is  from  six  to 
twelve  pounds  per  annum  with  his  keep  ;  and  at  the  close  of  his  engage- 
ment, three  or  five  years,  he  is  sent  back  to  his  own  island  with  a 
comfortable  sum  of  money  in  his  pocket. 

11  "  The  oven  was  opened." — See  note  3,  chap.  xii. 

'-"  Her  late  husband." — The  law  among  the  Australian  blacks  is  that 
the  widow  becomes  the  property  of  his  next  brother  or  nearest  male 
relative. 

1""'  Sisters  to  give  you." — A  common  way  of  barter  for  marriage. 

w  "  Deep  down." — Anger  and  other  passions — mild  as  well  as  fierce 
ones — were  supposed  to  have  their  seat  in  the  belly ;  hence  the  origin  of 
such  words  as  the  Latin  stomachari, 

''"Remain  only." — That  is,  to  continue  as  he  was.  For  the  Erro- 
mangan  use  of  this  expression,  see  note  8,  chap,  iii.,  and  note  7,  chap.  xii. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

' "  Indifferently." — In  Australia  this  coldness  of  demeanour  is  part  of 
the  native  etiquette.  When  a  boy  returns  to  his  parents'  home  after  a 
long  absence,  he  sits  down  at  some  distance  and  looks  around  him 
apparently  without  concern ;  then,  after  perhaps  ten  minutes  of  this,  he 
rises  up  and  rushes  into  their  arms  with  loud  emotion  on  their  part  and  his. 


446  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 

'"  Mr.  James  Anderson  "  was  an  Aherdonian  by  birth,  and  well  known 
to  all  Presbyterians  in  Sydney  for  his  own  fine  character  and  his  connection 
with  St.  Stephen's  Church.  He  was  an  office-bearer  there  for  the  long 
period  of  forty  years  (Deacon,  1858-62;  thereafter  Elder).  He  died  in 
August,  1898.  He  and  his  wife  always  showed  a  lively  interest  in  the 
New  Hebrides  Mission  and  the  missionaries. 

3"  A  feast." — A  nisckar.     See  note  7,  chap,  xiv.,  and  note  4,  chap.  iii. 

*Siman-ld. — The  cooking-house.     See  note  i,  chap.  viii. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

*  and  2  "  Dr.  Steel  and  Dr.  Gill." — See  previous  notes  4  and  5,  chap.  xi. 
3" Weather-boarded." — Here  and    further   on    in   this  chapter   occur 

several  expressions  which  are  in  common  use  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
but  may  not  be  intelligible  elsewhere  without  some  explanation:  (i) 
•'  Weather-boarded  "  house. — Such  a  house  has  its  frame-work  of  timber 
studding.  Then  flooring  boards  are  sawn  in  the  mill  diagonally  along 
their  length,  so  as  to  have  a  thick  edge  below  and  a  very  thin  edge  above. 
These  are  nailed  on  the  studs  outside  in  horizontal  tiers,  the  thick  edge  of 
the  tier  higher  up  overlapping  a  little  the  thin  edge  of  the  tier  below  to 
keep  out  the  weather.  That  is  called  weather-boarding.  (2)  "  Blue 
gum." — That  is  one  of  the  best  varieties  of  the  well-known  Australian 
eucalyptus  tree.  They  are  all  called  gum  trees  from  their  exudation  ot 
a  resinous  gum,  and  blue,  white,  spotted,  etc.,  from  the  colour  of  their 
bark.  (3)  "  To  gammon  "  is  to  talk  with  exaggerations,  to  feign,  to  make 
pretences  with  the  intention  of  deceiving  others. 

■*"  A  sham  fight." — Among  the  Australian  tribes,  the  Bora  ceremonies, 
which  are  part  of  their  religion,  close  with  a  sham  fight  in  which  the 
newly  initiated  young  men  take  part. 

*"  Memorial  Church." — With  this  compare  the  church  built  in  the 
compound  at  Cawnpore,  and  similar  memorials  elsewhere. 

*  "  Is." — Alas  !  we  must  now  say  was ;  for  the  Church  was  wrecked  by 
the  hurricane  of  January,  1901. 

■^  Pundit. — Throughout  the  islands  of  the  South  Seas,  a  native  well 
skilled  in  his  own  language,  who  helps  the  missionaries  in  translations 
and  otherwise,  is  called  a.  pundit  by  them. 

8  "  In  Queensland." — He  had  gone  as  a  kanaka  or  coloured  labourer 
to  work  in  the  sugar  plantations  in  Queensland.     See  note  7,  chap.  xiii. 

8 "No  gammon." — See  note  3,  above. 

1""  Broke  their  word." — A  native  expression  for  disobedience. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

1"  His  swag." — This  colonial  expression  means  the  rolled-up  blanket — 
sometimes  called,  in  Australia,  his  "  bluey  " — and  a  few  other   things, 


NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS  447 

which  a  "  tramp  "  carries  with  him  in  the  "bush  "  when  he  is  in  search  of 
work. 

2"  To  Fiji." — That  is,  to  work  in  the  sugar  plantations  there. 

3  "  To  take  the  word." — That  is,  to  become  Ciaristians.  The  Samoans 
call  it  lotu,  "  the  worship,"  but  loto,  "  the  heart,"  as  the  seat  of  the  affec- 
tions, seems  to  be  a  different  word. 

*  "  Cry." — That  is  the  wail  for  the  dead.  It  is  the  tangi  of  the 
Samoans ;  the  conclamatio  of  the  Romans  ;  the  keening  of  the  Irish  ;  the 
"  minstrels  and  people  making  a  noise  "  of  Matthew  ix.  23  ;  "  them  that 
wept  and  wailed  greatly  "  of  Mark  v.  38. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

^  "  Sacred  stones." — See  note  8,  chap.  xi.  "  Flying-fox  "  is  the  colonial 
name  for  a  large  fruit-eating  bat.    Its  head  resembles  a  fox's  on  a  small  scale. 

2 "  Men  on  horseback." — Aboriginal  art  in  Australia  makes  similar 
essays,  often  grotesque. 

'  "  Aniwa  (i  =  ee)  and  Futuna." — The  language  and  population  of 
these  two  islands  are  of  the  brown  Polynesian  variety — of  the  same  race 
as  the  Samoans  and  Maories. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

^Navilah. — A  few  years  ago,  in  the  interests  of  science,  an  Australian 
coral-boring  expedition  went  from  Sydney  to  Funa-futi,  a  small  atoll 
island  to  the  north  of  Fiji.  One  day  a  native  produced  a  small  iron  wheel 
which  had  been  left  there  some  time  before.  From  its  shape  and  qualities, 
he  had  come  to  think  there  was  "mana'^  or  supernatural  power  in  it,  and 
so  had  buried  it  in  the  ground  at  the  roots  of  a  cocoanut  tree  to  give 
fertility.  Any  stone  of  peculiar  shape  or  properties  the  Polynesians  easily 
regard  as  having  mana. 

Some  of  the  Erromangan  navilah  stones  are  quite  circular  and  like  a 
ring  or  wheel.  Such  also  were  some  of  the  symbols  of  Baal  and 
Astoreth,  the  deities  of  productiveness,  the  Sun  and  the  Moon,  in  the 
ancient  Syrian  world.  A  sacredness  also  belonged  to  the  "ring-stones' 
found  in  Celtic  lands,  and  the  circular  aperture  in  them  had  sacred  uses. 

^"  Crawl." — The  Celtic  ring-stones  were  used  in  that  way. 

^  "  Wail." — This  is  the  death-wail.     See  note  4,  chap.  xvii. 

*  "  Boys." — The  kava  drink  must  have  in  its  origin  been  connected  with 
the  worship  of  the  gods.  Various  facts  about  it  suggest  this.  In  Samoa, 
long  ago,  only  young  virgins  were  allowed  to  do  the  preparatory  chewing 
of  the  rootlets. 

^"  Naming." — The  plurality  of  wives  is  answerable  for  the  perplexities 
of  "  mother-right "  and  "  father-right "  in  the  Australian  tribes,  and  the 
naming  of  children  in  the  New  Hebrides. 


448  NOTES  TO  THE  CHAPTERS 

'"Planks." — Surf-swimming  is  a  loved  pastime  of  boys  and  girls  in 
all  the  South  Sea  Islands.  Where  there  is  a  coral  reef,  they  go  out  on  it 
and  sport  there  for  hours  like  young  seals. 

'"Mourners." — See  note  4,  chap.  xvii. 

8"  Funeral  feast." — With  this  compare  the  funeral  games  and  feasts 
of  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans. 

"Food,  hair,  etc.  —  These  are  a  universal  medium  of  sorcery  in 
Australia,  New  Guinea  and  elsewhere  among  the  black  races. 

10 11  Plural." — The  plural  of  majesty  is  a  figure  which  was  not  invented 
by  civilised  races.  In  Samoa,  even  when  a  chief  is  travelling  alone, 
you  address  him  in  the  dual :  Where  are  you  (two)  going  ?  for  a  chief 
is  supposed  to  be  always  accompanied  by  a  henchman  or  an  attendant. 

^1 "  Red,  white,"  etc. — In  Scotland,  especially  m  the  fisher  villages 
occupied  by  only  a  few  families,  such  additions  to  the  name  and  surname 
are  very  common  and  necessary. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

^"Our  visit." — As  the  climate  of  the  islands  seriously  affects  the 
health  of  many  Europeans,  missionaries  get  one  year's  furlough  for 
every  ten  years'  residence. 

^2 "  Tobogganing." — To  those  who  have  not  seen  a  Canadian  winter 
and  its  sports,  it  will  be  impossible  to  convey  by  words  a  sense  of  the 
pleasure  and  excitement  which  lie  in  the  use  of  the  toboggan. 

^"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson." — See  a  previous  note  about  them. 

''"  Labour  traffic." — See  a  previous  note  about  it. 

^"  Visit  to  Canada." — See  note  i,  above. 

''"  Tangoa"  is  a  small  island  in  the  north  New  Hebrides,  but  another, 
called  Tongoa,  is  further  south. 


o 


^    1 


APPENDIX 

X.  THE  NATURAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  NEW  HEBRIDES. 

By  Alexr.  Morrison,  Esq.,  LL.D.,  Government  Botanist, 
Perth,  Western  Australia. 

Dear  Mr.  Robertson, 

The  task  you  have  entrusted  to  me,  to  give  an  account  of 
some  of  the  natural  features  of  Erromanga  and  of  the  islands  of  the  New 
Hebrides  in  general,  is  one  for  which  I  am  very  poorly  qualitied,  either 
by  extent  of  knowledge  or  practical  experience  on  the  islands  ;  but  I  am 
somewhat  re-assured  by  the  consideration  that  that  particular  group  of 
islands  has  not  as  yet  been  very  fully  described,  and  that  a  statement  of 
some  of  the  facts  observed  during  a  trip  made  in  the  winter  of  1896  may 
stimulate  those  who  are  interested  in  these  islands  to  acquire  a  better 
understanding  of  their  natural  features. 

The  New  Hebrides  are  situated,  roughly  speaking,  between  the  i5th° 
and  2oth°  of  south  latitude,  corresponding  in  that  respect  with  the 
coast  of  North  Queensland,  from  which  they  are  separated  by  some  20° 
of  longitude.  Being  within  the  tropics,  therefore,  and  in  the  midst  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  they  are  subject  to  the  trade  winds,  and  their  climate 
is  warm  and  humid,  with  a  wet  summer  and  a  dry  winter,  the  latter 
season  being  tolerably  cool  on  the  more  southerly  islands  of  the  group. 

The  islands,  from  a  geological  point  of  view,  are  composed  of  coral 
and  volcanic  rocks,  in  most  instances  mixed  up  together,  but  with  the 
former  apparently  predominating  in  extent.  In  sailing  round  the  group, 
we  are  struck  with  a  certain  difference  between  the  aspect  of  the  islands 
as  seen  from  the  east  and  as  seen  from  the  west.  On  the  west  and  north 
sides  the  mountain  ridges  are  to  a  larger  extent  "  bald,"  or  bare  except 
as  regards  grassy  vegetation,  while  on  the  east  arboreal  vegetation  is 
more  prevalent.  This  difference  would  appear  to  be  due  to  the  action  of 
the  south-east  trade  winds  which,  while  making  anchorage  for  shipping 
less  secure  on  the  east  coast,  carry  with  them  copious  supplies  of  mois- 
ture, and  give  rise  to  more  luxuriant  vegetation  there.  On  the  west 
coast  of  Santo  numerous  remarkably  sharp  ridges  are  seen  rising  abruptly 
29  (449) 


450  APPENDIX 

from  the  sea-line,  and  separated  by  deep  valleys  from  the  ranges  further 
inland.  No  level  ground  is  visible,  and  no  streams  of  any  size  can  be 
made  out  as  we  sail  along,  but  bare  rocks  are  not  to  be  seen,  except 
occasionally  at  the  beach,  grass  covering  the  exposed  parts  of  the  ranges, 
while  trees  and  shrubs  fill  the  hollows.  We  sailed  up  this  coast  in  fine 
bright  weather,  with  none  of  the  sultriness  so  general  in  these  latitudes ; 
and  residents  on  this  part  of  Santo  state  that  the  climate  is  markedly 
different  from  that  of  most  other  stations  on  the  New  Hebrides.  This 
characteristic  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  absence  of  the  trade  winds, 
from  which  the  western  side  of  this  large  island  is  sheltered ;  and  the 
same  explanation  will  hold  good  for  Erromanga  and  others  in  the  group. 
These  regular  south-easterly  winds,  by  beating  constantly  on  the  coasts 
exposed  to  their  influence,  might  be  expected  to  cause  extensive  denu- 
dation of  the  rocks,  washing  away  much  of  the  softer  coral,  and  so 
exposing  the  more  resistant  volcanic  rocks  which  in  the  course  of  time 
provide  a  richer  soil ;  this  explains,  together  with  the  larger  rainfall,  the 
greater  luxuriance  of  the  vegetation  on  those  coasts.  On  the  east  coast 
of  Aneityum  massive  bluestone  rocks  are  seen,  while  rounded  boulders  of 
the  same  composition  are  thickly  strewn  over  the  beach,  and  also  in  the 
beds  of  the  rivers  in  the  interior  of  the  island.  Between  Port  Nariven 
and  Potnuma  on  the  east  of  Erromanga,  again,  we  saw  beds  of  volcanic 
rock  or  lava  on  the  beach,  sloping  gently  to  the  sea,  while  the  sand  or 
gravel  was  blackish  or  dark  grey,  and  there  was  no  appearance  of  coral 
at  the  locality.  The  effects  of  denudation  are  visible  at  the  south-west 
extremity  of  Aoba,  as  shewn  by  the  presence  of  outlying  masses  of  rock, 
sometimes  mushroom-shaped. 

On  landing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Williams*  River,  which  falls  into  the 
ocean  at  Dillon's  Bay  on  the  west  coast  of  Erromanga,  we  observe  ample 
evidence  of  the  two  forces  that  have  contributed  to  the  formation  of  this 
as  of  the  other  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides  group.  On  the  beach  we 
see  a  number  of  great  masses  of  coral  rock  several  yards  in  diameter, 
lying  isolated  as  if  tossed  there  by  some  gigantic  force,  and  hard  and 
splintery  as  if  silicified.  At  the  same  spot,  the  beach  is  formed  almost 
exclusively  of  rounded  pebbles  and  boulders  almost  all  of  volcanic  origin, 
and  showing  the  greatest  variety  in  composition,  grain  and  colour.  Fur- 
ther up  the  valley  in  which  the  river  flows,  are  seen  boulders  in  profusion, 
and  these,  as  well  as  the  precipices  of  coral  formation  bordering  the 
valley  to  a  height  of  about  400  feet  above  the  river  bed,  point  to  former 
volcanic  disturbances  of  great  violence.  Although  no  active  volcanoes 
exist  on  Erromanga,  earthquakes  are  sometimes  severe,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected from  the  presence  at  no  very  great  distance  of  the  never-ceasing 
crater  of  Tanna  to  the  south  and,  on  the  north,  of  the  lofty  cone  of 
Lopevi,  and  the  smoking  peak  on  Ambrim,  which  are  both  subject  to 
occasional  outbursts.     Evidence  of  recent  volcanic  action  at  Erromanga, 


APPENDIX  45T 

however,  has  been  found  at  the  south-east  of  the  island,  in  an  alteration 
of  the  depth  of  the  sea  between  the  shore  at  Traitors'  Head  and  a  small 
island  off  the  coast,  as  ascertained  by  the  officers  of  a  surveying  ship ; 
and  in  agreement  with  the  observation  thus  made,  the  natives  there  give 
an  account  of  fire  having  once  broken  out  at  that  spot. 

Though  the  Williams'  River  is  periodically  converted  into  a  rushing 
torrent  after  heavy  rain,  the  sides  of  its  narrow  valley  are  so  precipitous 
that  the  action  of  the  stream  itself  can  hardly  have  been  the  sole  factor 
in  its  formation.  To  judge  from  the  almost  vertical  precipices  on  its 
north  side,  it  seems  more  likely  that  a  rent  caused  by  volcanic  action 
opened  a  channel  for  the  outflow  of  the  waters  from  the  higher  levels  of 
the  tableland  and  the  hills  to  the  south,  from  which  the  river  takes  its 
origin.  The  greater  part  of  the  island  consists  of  tableland,  with  a  num- 
ber of  peaks  situated  mostly  to  the  south  of  a  line  between  Dillon's  Bay 
on  the  west  coast  and  the  mountain,  Traitors'  Head,  or  Warantop  of  the 
natives,  on  the  east.  In  crossing  the  island  on  that  line,  we  found  the 
tableland  reached  to  nearly  i,ooo  feet  above  sea-level  at  the  highest  part 
traversed,  while  Traitors'  Head,  the  highest  peak  on  the  island,  was  found 
by  aneroid  measurement  to  be  about  2,750  feet  above  high-water  mark. 

It  is  a  striking  feature  of  the  tableland  that  it  is  not  exactly  a  flat 
plain,  for  though  the  path  along  which  we  walk  is  on  the  whole  tolerably 
level,  we  pass  numerous  depressions  of  considerable  area  and  depth,  but 
quite  different  in  their  nature  from  valleys.  The  ground  falls  away  rather 
abruptly  from  the  higher  levels  into  these  hollows,  which  have  flat  bottoms 
but  contain  no  water  either  running  or  stagnant,  and  there  is  no  outlet, 
as  in  a  valley,  for  any  water  that  might  collect  in  them.  One  of  these 
depressions,  situated  near  Mount  Edwards  on  the  north  side  of  Dillon's 
Bay,  shows  a  central  pit  of  some  length,  and  into  it  from  the  sides  are 
projected  a  series  of  rounded  ridges  or  embankments  separated  from  one 
another  by  shallow  gulleys,  while  the  bottom  of  the  hollow  is  convex 
without  any  sign  of  water.  The  mode  of  origin  of  these  hollows  is  a 
matter  for  speculation,  but  they  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  supposition 
that  great  rents  had  been  caused  by  volcanic  action,  and  afterwards  partly 
filled  by  the  falling  in  of  the  sides.  The  porous  nature  of  the  soil  would 
explain  the  absence  of  still  waters,  and  the  paucity  of  lakes  and  swamps 
on  most  of  the  islands  of  the  group  may  be  similarly  accounted  for. 
Another  phenomenon  observed  in  a  number  of  localities  serves  to  indicate 
the  destination  of  the  water  precipitated  in  the  copious  rainfall  experienced 
on  the  islands,  namely,  the  existence  of  springs  of  fresh  water  on  the  shores 
below  high-water  mark.  Attention  may  be  drawn  to  them  by  the  sight  of 
cows  quenching  their  thirst  on  the  sea-shore  when  the  tide  is  out ;  and  we 
may  assume  that  the  presence  of  these  springs  is  not  limited  to  that  part 
of  the  shore  between  high  and  low  water.  At  Havannah  Harbour,  in 
Efate,  a  strongly  running  stream  of  pure  water,  at  which  the  natives  are 


452  APPENDIX 

in  the  habit  of  doing  their  washing,  is  to  be  seen  as  we  walk  along  the 
shores  and,  when  followed  up,  is  found  to  take  its  rise  not  many  yardi 
from  the  beach,  where,  from  the  bottom  of  a  shallow  basin  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees,  numerous  streamlets  accompanied  with  air-bells  are 
seen  rising  to  the  surface,  furnishing  sufficient  water  to  form  a  creek  with 
a  strong  and  copious  flow  to  the  shore.  The  uplands  at  Havannah  Har- 
bour, to  the  top  of  Mount  Erskine,  are  dry,  open  and  well-grassed,  but 
the  low-lying  ground  along  the  coast  is  always  moist,  and,  according  to 
Dr.  Macdonald,  malarious  as  well.  Though  the  soil  covering  the  cordl 
rock  at  this  spot  is  thin  and  scanty,  the  moisture  present  in  it  ensures  a 
most  luxuriant  growth  of  vegetation. 

On  Erromanga  the  coral  rocks  are  not  so  conspicuously  shown  as  on 
some  of  the  other  islands  of  the  group,  where  their  mode  of  formation  is 
displayed  in  a  very  striking  manner  in  the  shape  of  terraces  rising  one 
above  and  behind  the  other  from  the  coast  inland.  Some  show  three 
distinct  terraces,  as  on  Hat  Island  at  Havannah  Harbour,  and  on  an 
island  in  the  Malo  Pass  between  the  islands  of  Malo  and  Santo,  where 
they  are  extremely  well  defined,  with  a  flat  top  about  a  third  of  the  total 
length  of  the  island.  On  Efat^,  at  Havannah  Harbour,  the  land  is  com- 
posed of  a  succession  of  terraces,  of  which  the  peak  known  as  Mount 
Erskine,  or  Bau-backo  (shark's  back)  of  the  natives,  is  the  narrowed 
remnant  of  the  highest.  The  first  terrace,  crossed  on  the  way  inland 
from  the  harbour,  presents  a  vertical  face  of  over  twenty  feet  on  the 
seaward  side  and  in  the  narrow  pass  or  rift  through  which  we  make  our 
way  from  the  luxuriantly  wooded  coastal  strip  to  an  open  grassy  flat 
above.  The  next  terrace  is  indicated  by  a  prominence  visible  from  the 
mission  house,  and  known  to  the  natives  as  Korea-menamasok,  and 
found  to  be  820  feet  above  sea-level.  As  observed  from  a  boat  in  the 
harbour,  this  point  is  seen  to  form  the  end  of  a  prominent  terrace 
extending  towards  the  east,  where  it  is  nearly  as  high  as  the  part  seen  as 
a  peak.  The  third  terrace  is  indicated,  as  already  said,  by  Mount  Erskine 
itself,  which  is  hardly  a  well-defined  mountain  (though  its  small  coral  peak 
is  about  1,230  feet  above  the  sea),  being  only  a  little  higher  than  the  table- 
land, into  which,  towards  the  east,  it  slopes  gradually  and  almost  imper- 
ceptibly. 

The  same  triple  terrace  formation  is  continued  further  round  the  island, 
and  is  well  shown  at  Undine  Bay  on  the  north  coast.  Here,  on  walking 
up  from  the  beach,  after  threading  our  way  in  a  boat  through  the  narrow 
and  crooked  passage  over  the  coral  reef,  we  first  pass  across  a  terrace  of 
no  great  height,  as  at  Havannah  Harbour,  then  over  one  of  greater  height, 
on  which  is  situated  Arthursleigh,  the  residence  of  Mr  Wardlaw,  600  feet 
above  sea-level.  The  coffee  plantations  lie  between  this  and  the  next 
terrace,  above  which,  to  the  tops  of  the  hills,  coral  rocks  are  met  with, 
though  some  of  the  hills,  and  those  the  highest,  are  covered  with  forest 


APPENDIX  453 

vegetation  to  their  summits.  On  the  dome-shaped  peak  to  which  the 
ridge  above  Arthursleigh  leads,  while  volcanic  boulders  are  not  absent, 
rocks  of  coral  formation  are  to  be  seen,  weathered  into  thin,  vertical  slabs 
that  give  out  a  resonant,  metallic  sound  when  kicked  or  struck  with  any 
hard  substance.  The  coral  rocks,  both  here  on  Efate  and  at  Dillon's  Bay 
in  Erromanga,  have  a  hard  and  splintery  or  almost  flint-like  character, 
acquired  probably  through  the  action  of  volcanic  heat.  On  the  path  across 
Erromanga,  near  Dillon's  Bay,  the  ground  was  seen  to  be  strewn  with 
angular  fragments  of  calcareous  rock,  and  the  soil  at  this  part  was  dark  in 
colour.  Pieces  of  pure  white  stone  were  picked  up,  showing  on  the  frac- 
tured surface  concentric  lines  as  seen  in  Scotch  pebble.  Other  pieces 
were  white,  hard  and  crystalline,  and  evidently  fossiliferous — a  white 
marble.  Another  variety,  in  the  form  of  a  large  fragment  projecting 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  gave  a  ringing  sound  when  struck,  and 
its  fracture  was  yellowish  and  crystalline.  In  the  bed  of  the  creek  first 
crossed  were  many  large  volcanic  boulders  of  dark  blue  colour,  and  the 
soil  in  the  neighbourhood  was  observed  to  be  red,  while  the  grass  was 
long  and  luxuriant  as  compared  with  that  nearer  Dillon's  Bay. 

To  the  question,  What  is  the  age  of  the  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides  ? 
it  will  be  safe  to  reply  that,  in  a  geological  sense,  they  are  of  quite  recent 
formation.  Some,  indeed,  are  at  the  present  time  in  the  throes  of  active 
evolution  through  the  action  of  live  volcanoes.  The  formation  of  the 
coral  reefs  under  the  surface  of  the  ocean  by  the  growth  of  the  living 
polypes  goes  on  very  slowly  and  gradually  through  long  periods  of  time  ; 
but  the  disruption  of  the  calcareous  reefs  formed  by  them  ma^  take  place 
both  rapidly  and  suddenly.  The  reefs,  which  are  sometimes  of  enormous 
thickness,  are  broken  up  and  elevated  far  above  the  surface  of  the  ocean, 
or  sunk  below  their  former  level ;  but  all  the  while  the  formation  of  new 
coral  by  the  living  polypes  goes  on  at  those  depths  below  the  surface  of 
the  ocean  suited  to  their  life  and  continued  development.  But  besides 
breaking  up  and  dislocating  the  existing  rocks,  the  volcanoes  add  to  the 
bulk  of  the  islands  by  the  emission  of  streams  of  lava  and  the  ejection  of 
boulders,  ashes,  etc.,  which  form  thick  masses  overlying  or  intermixed 
with  the  coral.  By  volcanic  agency  the  configuration  and  size  of  the 
islands  may  be  rapidly  altered,  or  a  gradual  and  slow  elevation  or  depres- 
sion of  the  surface  of  the  land  may  take  place,  although  the  additions  to 
the  mass  of  the  coral  formation  may  be  extremely  slow  and  imperceptible. 

As  already  mentioned,  evidence  of  changes  due  to  volcanic  action  within 
the  memory  of  those  now  living  have  been  detected  on  the  east  coast 
of  Erromanga,  and  it  is  not  so  long  ago  that  at  Port  Resolution,  near  the 
active  volcano  on  the  east  coast  of  Tanna,  an  earthquake  occurred  causing 
the  upheaval  of  the  sea-bottom  on  its  northern  side,  while  another  portion 
of  land  near  it  sank  below  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  Tanna  volcano  is 
remarkable  for  the  frequency  and  regularity  of  its  outbursts    one  taking 


454  APPENDIX 

place  every  two  or  three  minutes.  The  most  obvious  explanation  of  this 
characteristic  is  that  the  immediate  cause  of  the  explosions  is  the  inflow 
of  water  into  the  molten  interior  of  the  volcano,  resulting  in  the  genera- 
tion and  escape  of  a  large  volume  of  steam  ;  and  if  the  belief  is  well- 
founded  that  the  lake  in  the  vicinity  is  in  communication  with  the  cavity 
of  the  volcano,  the  explanation  will  be  all  the  more  feasible.  Masses  of 
solid  material  are  seen  to  be  ejected  from  the  crater  at  each  explosion,  and 
dust  is  deposited  at  We-a-si-si  further  north,  injuring  the  crops  of  the 
native  teachers  there,  according  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Watt.  That  this  vol- 
canic dust  may  be  carried  much  further  has  been  proved  in  your  own 
experience  by  the  fall  at  Dillon's  Bay  on  the  night  of  3rd  June,  1898,  of 
a  fine  brown  dust  from  the  Tanna  volcano,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles,  pene- 
trating into  every  corner  of  your  house  during  the  four  hours  it  continued 
to  fall.  A  strong  south  wind  would  be  a  necessary  condition  of  this 
occurrence,  without  precedent  as  it  has  been  during  your  twenty-six  years' 
residence  on  the  island ;  but,  as  you  have  remarked,  that  condition  has 
been  present  on  numerous  occasions  without  it  being  associated  with  a 
shower  of  dust  derived  from  the  volcano.  The  phenomenon  doubtless 
indicates  some  unusual  form  of  combustion  in  the  bowels  of  the  volcano, 
giving  rise  to  a  lighter  and  more  copious  ash  than  usual.  The  continuous 
activity  of  the  Tanna  volcano  must  result  in  constant  changes  in  its 
own  constitution,  though  not  generally  of  such  importance  as  to  materially 
alter  its  external  appearance. 

The  other  active  volcanoes  of  the  group,  if  less  regular  and  continuous 
in  their  outbursts  than  that  of  Tanna,  are  more  violent  and  destructive 
when  their  occasional  eruptions  take  place,  lava  flowing  down  their  sides 
into  the  valleys  below,  and  scorias  covering  and  destroying  the  vegetation 
all  around,  while  human  lives  are  placed  in  great  jeopardy.  Such  an 
eruption  took  place  a  few  years  ago  on  Ambrim,  and  again  on  the  same 
island  within  the  last  few  months ;  while  still  more  recently  the  lofty 
and  steep  cone  of  Lopevi  has  been  in  violent  action,  placing  the  in- 
habitants, as  at  Ambrim,  in  the  greatest  danger.  Still  later,  at  the  end 
of  the  month  of  May,  1898,  an  eruption  from  the  sea-bot-tom  took  place 
on  the  north-east  side  of  Tongoa,  and  was  witnessed  and  reported  by 
credible  European  residents.  Every  eight,  ten,  or  twelve  minutes  an 
upheaval  of  muddy  water  to  a  height  of  ten  to  thirty  feet  occurred,  and 
stones  were  thrown  up  to  a  greater  height,  while  the  noises  preceding 
the  outburst  were  similar  to  those  heard  before  an  earthquake,  though 
no  terrestrial  disturbance  was  in  this  case  perceived.  In  the  Banks'  group, 
lying  to  the  north  of  the  New  Hebrides,  evidences  of  volcanic  formation 
are  apparent.  In  Ureparapara  is  a  bay  showing  the  island  to  be  formed 
evidently  of  an  extinct  crater,  one  side  having  been  removed  leaving  it 
open  to  the  ocean,  while  at  Vanua  Lava,  Port  Patteson,  the  best  harbour 
in  the  group,  may  from  its  appearance  have  been  a  volcanic  crater.     On 


APPENDIX  455 

one  of  the  hills  surrounding  this  harbour  white  sulphurous  vapour  is 
observed  escaping  from  a  rent  in  the  ground,  while  the  river  taking  its 
rise  from  that  part  is  generally  found  to  contain  sulphur  in  its  waters, 
which  are  said  to  be  warm,  though  on  our  visit  to  it,  after  heavy  rain, 
its  presence  could  not  be  detected.  Sulphur  in  crystals  is  found  here, 
as  also  in  connection  with  the  volcano  on  Tanna. 

The  presence  of  granite  on  the  islands  is  doubtful,  although  on  Santo 
its  existence  is  more  likely  on  account  of  its  greater  area.  At  Anamd, 
on  the  north  side  of  Aneityum  a  mile  or  so  from  the  coast,  is  a  very  large 
block  of  stone  usually  spoken  of  as  granite,  and  resembling  that  rock, 
but  probably  only  granitoid  and  of  volcanic  origin.  Its  surface  is 
blackened  by  exposure,  and,  on  the  sloping  south  or  shady  side,  is  speckled 
over  with  a  small  whitish  lichen.  The  front  surface,  which  is  more  nearly 
vertical,  faces  due  nort^,  is  eleven  paces  in  length,  and  is  engraved  with 
a  large  number  of  curious  figures.  It  is  said  that  the  natives  have  no 
knowledge  or  tradition  regarding  the  origin  of  these  carvings,  except 
that  they  were  there  when  their  forefathers  came  to  the  island,  about 
600  years  ago,  as  some  think.  The  flat  top,  nearly  seven  feet  at  its 
widest,  is  also  engraved,  and  there  are  a  few  figures  too  on  the  south 
side. 

While  sailing  round  4he  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides,  a  good  oppor- 
tunity is  found  to  study  the  coast  flora,  the  frequent  stoppages  of  the 
missionary  or  trading  vessel  being  favourable  for  this  purpose,  though 
not  as  a  rule  permitting  lengthy  excursions  inland.  There  is  a  great 
sameness  of  coastal  vegetation  on  all  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  the  plants 
composing  it  being  to  a  large  extent  common  to  all,  though  the  flora  of 
the  interior  of  one  island  may  differ  to  an  important  degree  from  that  of 
others.  In  this  sameness  the  eastern  coast  of  Australia  to  some  extent 
participates,  in  as  far  as  it  lies  within  the  Tropics,  is  washed  by  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  is  subject  to  the  influence  of  the  trade 
winds.  Hence  it  is  that  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  Queensland 
coast,  when  they  travel  round  the  New  Hebrides,  or  other  groups  of 
islands,  are  always  meeting  with  well-known  plants  reminding  them  of 
Australia.  The  agencies  by  which  this  similarity  has  been  brought 
about  are  in  themselves  an  interesting  study  and  are  various  in  kind, 
including  the  transport  of  fruits  and  seeds  across  the  intervening  areas  of 
salt  water  by  the  waves  and  currents,  on  the  feet  or  in  the  stomachs  of 
birds,  and  by  human  intervention  in  various  ways.  So  far,  therefore, 
as  the  coast  flora  of  the  New  Hebrides  is  concerned,  it  does  not  differ 
materially  from  that  of  other  islands,  such  as  the  Fiji  or  Samoan  groups,  or, 
as  regards  part  of  the  flora  at  least,  from  the  north-east  coast  of  Australia. 
With  the  flora  of  the  interior  of  the  islands,  on  the  other  hand,  the  case 
may  be  entirely  different ;  that  is  to  say,  instead  of  the  central  areas  of 
the  various  islands  being  inhabited  by  the  same  species  of  plants,  one 


4S6  APPENDIX 

may  be  tenanted  by  species  quite  distinct  from  those  ot  another  island, 
and  in  that  case  some  of  the  plants  may  even  be  endemic,  or  existing  on 
that  island  alone  and  nowhere  else.  Whether  this  characteristic  exists 
on  any  of  the  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides  group  has  not  yet  been  fully 
tested,  but  a  preliminary  examination  of  specimens  collected  during  the 
winter  of  1896  on  Erromanga,  Aneityum,  and  Efate,  inclines  us  to  the 
belief  that,  on  these  islands  at  least,  the  majority  of  the  plants  are  of 
similar  if  not  identical  species  with  those  of  other  groups  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean  and  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Australia.  This  conclusion  may,  how- 
ever, not  apply  to  all  the  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides,  especially  to 
Santo,  which  from  its  size  is  more  likely  to  present  a  greater  variety  of 
plants,  and  perhaps  even  endemic  forms  of  vegetable  life. 

The  vegetation  of  the  South  Sea  Islands  is  so  prolific  as  to  come 
down  to  high-water  mark  on  the  shores,  and  the  pebbly  beach,  just 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  waves,  is  frequently  carpeted  with  white  and 
purple-flowered  creepers,  convolvuluses  and  pea-blossoms,  while  trees 
and  shrubs,  many  of  them  handsome  in  flowers  and  foliage,  overhang 
the  shingle.  The  mangroves  may  sometimes  be  seen  as  a  continuous 
line  of  shrubs  fringing  the  coast  line,  sending  their  roots  down  into  the 
sea-water,  and  indicating  the  height  to  which  the  tide  rises  by  the  lower 
border  of  their  foliage,  which  is  as  straight  as  if  clipped,  being  arrested  in 
its  growth  at  that  level.  The  glossy  foliage  of  these  trees,  and  in  some 
cases  their  shapely  forms,  together  with  the  curious  adaptations  of  their 
flowers  and  roots  to  the  conditions  prevailing  on  a  muddy  shore,  make 
them  an  interesting  study.  Close  to  the  beach  also  the  trees  may  be  seen 
festooned  with  the  twining  stems  of  a  convolvulus  of  robust  growth  and 
bearing  large  trumpet-shaped  flowers  of  a  pure  white  colour.  At  or  near 
to  the  beach  are  fine  trees  of  the  genera  Tournefortia,  Hernandia,  Ter- 
minalia,  Gyrocarpus  and  Calophyllum.  The  last-named  is  known  as  the 
Tamanon,  that  supplies  large  logs  of  timber  of  superior  quality ;  and 
mention  may  be  made  of  the  Casuarina,  or  "  she-oak"  of  Australians,  as 
frequently  seen  growing  to  a  considerable  height  quite  close  to  the  water. 

The  lower  hills  near  the  coast  are  generally  sparsely  clothed  with 
vegetation,  and  this  character  is  still  more  marked  on  the  tablelands, 
where  the  landscape  is  open  and  breezy,  reminding  us  of  Australia,  and 
in  striking  contrast  with  the  close,  densely  wooded  valleys  and  most  of 
the  higher  hills.  In  all  probability  residence  there  would  be  free  from 
the  poison  of  malaria.  The  trees  are  few,  and  the  presence  of  an  acacia, 
frequently  met  with  on  the  tableland  as  well  as  near  the  coast,  enhances 
the  resemblance.  This  tree  was  seen  forty  feet  high  on  the  Erromangan 
tableland,  and  is  known  to  the  natives  there  as  the  Mori ;  while  on 
Aneityum  it  bears  the  name  Inmeri,  and  on  Efate  Numeri.  It  yields 
small  logs  and  stakes  of  great  hardness  and  durability,  and  it  is  of  this 
wood  that  the  Erromangans  make  their  beautifully  finished  bows.    Shrubs, 


APPENDIX  457 

many  of  them  very  ornamental,  bracken  (Gleichenia)  and  orchids  relieve 
the  comparative  bareness  of  these  localities  ;  but  it  is  very  seldom  indeed 
that  we  meet  with  any  earth  or  rock  actually  bare. 

It  is  in  the  valleys,  however,  where  a  deeper  soil  and  more  copious 
moisture  exist,  that  we  find  the  most  luxuriant  growth  of  trees  and  shrubs, 
although  on  the  higher  hills  the  vegetation,  if  less  rank,  is  perhaps  equally 
varied  and  interesting.  The  largest  trees  are  seen  in  the  former  situation, 
and  as  we  ascend  the  mountains,  which  are  usually  wooded  to  the  top, 
they  become  less  lofty,  and  on  the  peaks — between  2,000  and  3,000  feet 
above  the  sea — they  are  on  an  average  only  about  fifteen  feet  in  height. 
At  1,500  feet  and  upwards  we  find  a  wealth  of  mosses  and  lichens,  luxuri- 
ating in  such  a  copious  moisture  as  would  seem  to  indicate  a  greater  or 
more  constant  rainfall  than  occurs  on  the  coast.  These  lower  forms  of 
vegetable  life  grow  on  the  living  or  fallen  trunks  more  than  on  the  ground, 
clothing  and  festooning  them  in  a  fresh  and  bright  drapery,  not  green 
alone,  for  the  lichens  show  enough  colour  to  greatly  enhance  the  beauty 
of  the  scene.  It  is  on  the  trees  on  the  hillsides  also  that  we  find  the 
greater  number  of  the  orchids  indigenous  to  the  islands.  Of  these  inter- 
esting plants  between  twenty  and  thirty  species  were  collected,  in  flower 
or  in  seed,  and  a  considerable  number  of  other  kinds  were  seen  out  of 
flower.  If  the  New  Hebridean  species  are  less  gorgeous  than  those  of 
some  other  countries  nearer  the  Equator,  they  are  nevertheless  objects  of 
great  interest,  owing  to  their  beautifully  coloured,  wax-like  flowers,  and 
the  singular  shapes  assumed  by  flowers  and  foliage  alike. 

In  a  walk  across  Erromanga,  such  as  I  had  the  pleasure  of  taking 
under  your  guidance  in  the  latter  half  of  July,  i8g6,  we  were  able  to  note 
all  the  different  phases  of  the  vegetation  according  to  soil,  moisture, 
exposure  and  height  above  sea-level.  Starting  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Williams'  River  at  Dillon's  Bay,  we  first  walk  for  some  distance  up 
the  valley,  making  our  acquaintance  with  the  dense  foliage  of  tropical 
type,  under  the  close  shade  of  which  luxuriate  ferns,  selaginellas  and 
creepers,  with  scattered  plantations  of  cocoanut  palms,  bananas,  bread-fruit 
and  orange  trees  laden  with  ripe  fruit,  and  passing  the  natives  busy  with 
their  yearly  labour  of  arrowroot-making — their  voluntary  offering  towards 
the  support  of  the  mission  to  which  they  have  loyally  attached  themselves. 
Then  ascending  a  steep,  winding  path,  first  used  by  the  early  sandalwood 
traders,  and  since  their  time  improved  by  your  own  exertions  and  con- 
tinued right  across  the  island,  we  escape  the  necessity  for  wading 
laboriously  through  the  coarse  cane-grass  or  tangle  of  creepers  seen  to 
right  and  left  of  us.  After  a  stiff  pull  we  reach  a  level  higher  than  the 
great  precipices  seen  from  the  valley,  and  shortly  we  are  on  the  tableland, 
following  a  path  in  a  general  sense  level,  and  avoiding  the  deep  hollows 
now  and  then  passed  on  the  one  side  or  on  the  other,  but  necessarily 
dipping  down  to  the  lower  level  of  the  streams,  of  which  a  number  have 


4S8  APPENDIX 

to  be  crossed  on  our  way.  Few  trees  are  seen,  and  these  are  mostly  the 
Mori,  till  the  latter  half  of  the  journey  is  entered  upon.  Then  we  obser\e 
that  the  hollows  and  the  valleys  traversed  by  the  creeks,  unlike  those  on 
the  western  half  of  the  path,  are  filled  with  trees  and  shrubs,  although  our 
path  along  the  higher  parts  continues  still  open  and  grassy.  At  length 
the  line  of  march  takes  us  into  densely  wooded  country,  and  although  the 
ascents  and  descents  in  crossing  the  valleys,  in  which  streams  of  consider- 
able si7e  now  run,  are  much  steeper  and  more  arduous,  the  vegetation 
presents  a  tropical  aspect  all  through,  and  is  more  varied  as  well  as  more 
extensive  in  area  than  that  of  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Williams'  River. 
While  the  road,  through  nearly  its  whole  length,  might  be  passed  by  a 
vehicle,  there  are  portions  of  it  towards  the  eastern  side  of  the  island  that 
would  make  an  ideal  carriage  drive,  arched  over  and  shaded  by  tall  trees 
•with  handsome  foliage,  and  decorated  here  and  there  with  palms,  dracaenas, 
climbers  and  other  ornamental  plants.  The  same  closely  wooded  char- 
acter is  continued  to  the  village  of  Arawau,  where  we  stayed  for  the 
night,  and  from  there  down  the  slopes  to  the  coast  at  Port  Nariven, 
where  the  mission  house  stands  close  to  the  spot  where  Captain  Cook 
landed  when  he  first  discovered  the  island.  Traitors'  Head,  or  Warantop 
of  the  natives,  the  high,  three-peaked  mountain  near  this  spot,  was 
ascended  by  us  on  a  fine,  cool  day,  and  like  most  of  the  other  high 
mountains  is  so  densely  wooded  from  base  to  summit  as  to  allow  few 
chances  of  a  view  of  the  surrounding  land  and  ocean,  without  our  climbing 
to  the  top  of  a  tree  for  that  purpose. 

Among  the  many  interesting  plants  met  with  during  this  walk  across 
Erromanga,  special  mention  may  be  made  of  a  myrtaceous  shrub  found  in 
full  flower  on  the  tableland  to  the  east  of  Dillon's  Bay  and  also  on 
Traitors'  Head.  It  is  the  Nimram  of  the  natives  and  a  species  of  Metro- 
sideros,  bearing  large  trusses  of  bright  red  flowers,  though  a  yellow- 
flowered  variety  was  found  on  the  ranges  near  Mount  Gordon  to  the 
south  of  the  bay,  and  also  at  Undine  Bay,  Efat^.  This  shrub  was  under 
ten  feet  in  height  on  the  tableland  and  on  the  slopes  of  Traitors'  Head, 
as  well  as  on  the  peak  to  the  south  of  Mount  Gordon,  ascended  by  us 
later  on  ;  but  on  these  two  hills,  close  to  their  summits,  we  found  it  also 
as  a  robust  tree,  at  the  last  named  locality  about  fifty  feet  high,  the  trunk, 
buttressed  with  projecting  ridges,  measuring  fifteen  feet  in  circumference 
at  five  feet  from  the  ground.  On  Traitor's  Head  the  largest  specimen  seen 
was  noted  as  four  feet  in  diameter  at  four  feet  above  the  surface,  branch- 
ing into  limbs  of  a  diameter  of  two  feet  and  a  half  downwards  ;  and  this 
exceptional  growth  was  associated  in  each  locality  with  an  abundance  of 
the  same  plant  as  a  moderate-sized  shrub. 

On  the  tableland,  also,  we  saw  a  shrub  of  some  culinary  interest,  grow- 
ing plentifully  there,  but  just  passing  out  of  its  fruit-bearing  stage.  This 
is  a  species  of  Vaccinium,  or  blaeberry,  the  fruit  of  which  in  your  own 


APPENDIX  459 

experience  has  been  found  a  passable  substitute  for  the  blueberry  of 
Canada  in  the  making  of  jam  and  tarts.  A  ground  orchid  with  fleshy 
roots  and  a  long  racune  of  pale,  pinkish  flowers  was  found  on  the  plateau, 
resembling  Dipodium  punctatum  of  Australia,  and  evidently  closely  allied 
to  that  species.  At  the  foot  of  trees  in  the  damp  woods  a  peculiar,  pale, 
fungus-like  plant  was  met  with,  a  species  of  Balanophora,  evidently 
parasitic,  n  the  roots  of  the  trees.  Near  the  summit  of  Traitors'  Head 
a  small  tree  belonging  to  the  family  Goodeniaceae  was  found,  with  hand- 
some foliage  and  large  flowers  of  a  lavender  colour.  When  on  a  visit  to 
Cook's  Bay  during  our  stay  at  Port  Nariven,  the  native  women  accom- 
panying us  brought  in  the  branches  and  cones  of  a  striking  plant  belong- 
ing to  the  Ginger  family.  This  proved  to  be  Tapeinochilus  pungens, 
previously  recorded  only  from  one  or  two  places  in  the  Malay  Archipelago 
and  the  Pacific  coast  of  Northern  Queensland.  Though  showing  some 
differences  from  those  obtained  at  the  latter  locality,  these  were  not  of 
such  importance  as  to  constitute  the  Erromangan  plant  a  distinct  species. 
Another  plant,  previously  thought  to  be  endemic  in  Queensland  and  New 
South  Wales,  was  also  found  on  Erromanga,  namely,  Castanospermum 
australis,  the  Moreton  Bay  chestnut,  or  Ovooleeungkil  of  the  Erromangans  ; 
but  a  similar  plant  appears  also  to  grow  in  New  Caledonia.  Entada 
scandens,  the  Match-box  bean  of  Queensland,  is  also  common  on  the 
island,  the  long  pods  hanging  overhead  on  "  Robertson's  Road  "  and  in 
other  localities. 

Brief  references  may  now  be  made  to  some  of  the  families  of  plants 
prevailing  in  the  vegetation  of  the  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides,  and  to 
individual  forms  presenting  features  of  more  than  usual  interest.  The 
large  and  important  order  of  the  Legutninosce  is  well  represented,  as  by 
Canavalia  obtusifolia,  the  creeper  on  the  sea-shores  already  mentioned ; 
Abrus  precatorius,  a  climber,  of  which  the  scarlet  and  black  seeds  are 
well  known  as  Paternoster  beans ;  Erythrina,  a  tree  singular  in  having 
deciduous  leaves,  unlike  the  great  majority  of  tropical  plants,  and  flower- 
ing before  the  young  leaves  make  their  appearance;  species  also  of 
Crotalaria,  Tephrosia,  Castanospermum,  Entada,  etc.  The  genera  Caesal- 
pinia  and  Acacia  are  also  represented,  as  well  as  one  or  more  genera  allied 
to  the  latter.  The  Rutacece  include  a  number  of  species,  most  of  which 
are  found  in  Australia,  including  apparently  two  thought  to  be  exclusively 
Australian  ;  and  a  species  of  wild  orange  belongs  to  this  order.  The 
MalvacecE  are  common,  including  Hibiscus,  of  which  six  or  eight  species 
were  met  with.  One  of  these.  Hibiscus  tiliaceus,  is  well  known  as  sup- 
plying the  natives  with  supports  for  the  roofs  and  doorways  of  their 
dwellings.  This  shrub  or  tree,  as  it  grows  on  the  banks  of  the  streams, 
sends  its  branches  out  in  a  gentle  curve  so  as  to  overhang  the  water,  and 
when  two  of  these  are  set  up  opposite  one  another  a  Gothic  arch  is  formed, 
60  that  the  entrances  of  the  native  huts  appear  as  if  copied  from  a  Euro- 


460  APPENDIX 

pean  model,  though  they  were  doubtless  so  ormed  long  before  the  Gothic 
style  of  architecture  took  its  rise.  Ih  the  order  Sterculiacca  are  Heritiera 
littoralis,  a  coastal  tree  with  large  angular  nuts,  and  Commer9onia 
echinata,  a  small  tree  with  pleasing  foliage  and  flowers,  both  also 
Australian,  Of  the  Sapindacece  a  number  of  shrubs  or  trees  were  found, 
including  a  very  ornamental  one,  apparently  that  named  Lepiderema, 
belonging  to  New  Guinea.  Dodonsea  viscosa  is  common  on  the  islands, 
as  it  is  in  most  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  Cardiospermum  Halicaca- 
bum,  a  pretty  twiner,  has  also  a  very  wide  distribution.  Only  one 
representative  of  the  Rosacea  was  seen,  a  species  of  Rubus  or  bramble, 
on  the  summit  of  Traitors'  Head.  The  Saxifrage  order,  well  known  in 
the  old  country  from  the  pretty  herbaceous  plants  it  contains,  is  repre- 
sented by  trees  of  the  genera  Geissais  and  Spiraeanthemum. 

The  Myrtacea,  so  numerous  in  Australia,  include  two  species  of 
Acicalyptus,  much  resembling  Eucalyptus,  found  on  the  hills  of  Aneit- 
yum ;  and  three  species  of  Eugenia  were  also  got  on  that  island,  and 
another  on  Erromanga.  Melastoma  malabathricum,  a  pretty  shrub  with 
ribbed  leaves  and  large  flowers,  grows  plentifully  at  Anelcauhat  on 
Aneityum,  where  the  flowers  are  always  white,  and  two  others  belong- 
ing to  the  same  order,  the  Melastomacece,  were  obtained,  one  on  the  hills 
there  and  the  other  on  Erromanga,  though  past  flowering.  Of  the 
LoranthacecE,  or  Mistletoe  family,  a  species  of  Loranthus,  was  ob- 
tained on  Aneityum  and  Erromanga,  and  a  small  species  of  Viscum 
on  the  mountains  to  the  south  of  Dillon's  Bay.  The  Ritbiacece  are 
very  numerous  on  the  islands,  and  include  some  shrubs  with  fine 
foliage,  while  the  large  orders,  Compositse  and  Umbelliferas,  are 
poorly  illustrated.  Belonging  to  the  Rubiaceae  was  found  a  peculiar 
plant  of  the  kind  named  Myrmecophilus,  in  reference  to  the  function 
these  exercise  in  harbouring  ants.  It  grows  as  an  epiphyte  on  the  trees 
at  the  summits  of  the  hill  at  Undine  Bay,  Efate,  and  has  a  remarkable 
swollen  or  "  gouty  "  stem,  from  which  roots  pass  into  the  bark  and  ramify 
there,  while  from  the  upper  side  the  branches  spring  bearing  the  leaves 
and  inconspicuous  flowers.  The  tuberous  stem  is  irregularly  rounded  or 
lobed,  and  is  not  unlike  an  enlarged  potato  in  appearance,  smooth  and 
brownish  on  the  surface,  and  growing  to  larger  than  a  man's  head  in  size. 
A  number  of  apertures,  however,  are  seen  on  its  surface,  the  openings  of 
tunnels  that  traverse  the  interior  of  the  growth.  In  these  passages  were 
found  ants  of  two  sizes,  but  very  small,  and  it  is  the  presence  of  these 
insects  in  such  plants  that  has  led  to  their  being  spoken  of  as  Myrmeco- 
philus. In  some  plants  of  this  description  the  ants  are  large  and  fierce 
and,  in  return  for  the  lodging  their  host-plant  gives  them,  they  do  it  a  good 
turn  hy  keeping  off  insects  or  other  animals  that  might  otherwise  be 
injurious  to  it.  In  this  case  the  puny  ants  could  hardly  be  of  much 
service  as  defenders  of  their  host  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  it  may  be  said 


APPENDIX  461 

that  insects,  if  we  except  spiders,  appear  to  be  few  on  the  islands,  at  least 
in  winter,  the  season  in  which  our  visit  was  made. 

Plumbago  zeylanica  is  frequently  seen,  and  the  bark  of  its  roots  supply 
the  place  of  mustard  as  an  external  application,  while  in  other  countries 
the  plant  is  used  medicinally  in  other  ways.  Of  the  Asclepiadea,  a 
species  of  Hoya,  or  wax-plant,  was  found  on  the  rocks  at  the  east  coast  of 
Aneityum,  and  it  was  from  specimens  obtained  on  the  east  coast  of  Tanna 
that  Robert  Brown  first  described  and  named  the  species  Hoya  australis. 
Examples  of  the  genera  Solanum,  Cyrtandra,  Ruellia,  Eranthemum, 
Coleus,  Tournefortia,  Vitex,  Premna,  Stephania,  and  others  were  also 
obtained  on  the  different  islands  visited  during  our  trip.  The  Euphorhiacece 
of  the  New  Hebrides  include  a  considerable  variety  of  forms,  from  the 
Euphorbia  pilulifera,  a  common  weed  at  some  parts,  and  used  medicinally 
on  the  islands  as  well  as  in  Australia,  to  the  large  and  ornamental  plants 
of  the  genera  Macaranga,  Acalypha,  Breynia,  Codiacum  and  others.  The 
last-named  is  usually  spoken  of  as  Croton,  and  is  remarkable  for  the  great 
variety  and  singular  forms  of  its  leaves,  as  well  as  for  the  rich  colours 
displayed  in  them,  as  may  be  seen  in  a  collection  of  growing  plants  at  the 
mission  house  on  Erakor  at  Efate.  The  order  Urticacece  includes  the 
Fig  family  as  a  sub-order,  represented  by  the  majestic  Banyan  and  other 
species  of  Ficus,  of  which  one  at  least — as  seen  at  the  Dillon's  Bay 
mission  house,  to  which  it  had  been  imported  from  Tanna — supplies 
abundance  of  excellent  fruit  of  a  rich  purple  colour.  The  order  includes  also 
species  of  Elatostema,  Trema,  Pipturus,  besides  some  more  lowly, 
nettle-like  plants.  Belonging  to  the  Piperacece  is  the  well-known  Kava 
plant,  Piper  methysticum,  a  native  of  the  islands,  but  not  readily  discovered 
by  the  botanical  collector  on  account  of  kava-drinking  being  tabooed  as  a 
hurtful  form  of  indulgence.  The  liquor  is  obtained  by  the  fermentation 
of  the  juices  of  the  root  of  the  plant,  and  its  use  as  a  drink  produces  a 
pleasing  though  not  inebriating  effect  on  the  brain  and  nerves,  but  in 
excessive  quantities  a  temporary  paralysis  of  the  lower  extremities. 
Though  I  did  not  hear  of  any  lasting  injurious  effects  on  the  natives  from 
the  habitual  or  excessive  use  of  kava,  it  would  not  be  right  to  assume  that 
indulgence  to  excess  in  a  drink  having  immediate  effects  of  so  marked  a 
character,  raay  not  be  follo'.ved  by  more  remote  permanent  results, 
although  these  may  be  minimised  by  the  active  out-of-door  life  of  the 
unconverted  savage.  Another  species  of  plant,  called  false  kava,  Piper 
subpeltatum,  is  common  in  shady  woods,  and  is  very  like  the  true  kava  in 
general  appearance,  though  lacking  the  peculiar  property  of  the  latter. 

The  Santalacece  or  sandalwood  family  are  represented  by  more  than 
one  species  of  Santalum,  "  false  "  as  well  as  "  true  "  sandalwood  ;  but 
although  the  trees  were  formerly  plentiful,  the  trade  in  that  valuable 
wood  was  so  ruthlessly  carried  on,  especially  on  Erromanga,  before  the 
establishment  of  the  missions,  that  it  is  seldom  that  a  growing  tree  is 


462  APPENDIX 

met  with  now,  Dammara  obtusa,  a  species  of  Kauri,  in  the  order 
Conifera  is  so  plentiful  on  Aneityum  that  a  sawmill  to  work  it  was 
a  considerable  number  of  years  ago  established  at  Anelcauhat,  though 
latterly  the  trade  in  the  timber  does  not  appear  to  have  prospered.  The 
specimen  found  by  you  on  Erromanga  quite  recently  proves  its  existence 
on  that  island  also,  where  it  is  known  to  the  natives  as  Nendu.  The 
tree  found  was,  according  to  your  notes,  "  probably  forty  feet  high  and 
not  more  than  eight  feet  in  circumference,  as  it  was  close  to  the  sea-shore 
and  in  a  very  dry  spot  abounding  with  blue  whinstones  thrown  up  by  the 
sea";  but  as  you  say  that  this  particular  tree  was  planted  by  a  woman 
known  to  the  present  natives,  I  am  in  doubt  as  to  whether  it  is  the  only  tree 
on  the  island.  Kauri  is  said  also  to  grow  on  Santo,  but  it  is  not  unlikely 
that  the  species  found  there,  being  so  much  further  north,  is  different 
from  that  of  the  southern  islands  of  the  group.  Young  trees  of  Podo- 
carpus  cupressina,  another  conifer,  were  seen  on  Aneityum,  and  in  the 
Melbourne  Herbarium  is  a  specimen  of  an  Araucaria  that  had  been  sent 
to  the  late  Baron  von  Mueller  by  Captain  Fraser,  who  had  obtained  it  on 
one  of  the  New  Hebrides  Islands.  Mention  may  also  be  made  of  the 
Cycas  or  so-called  Sago-palm,  of  the  arrowroot  plant,  Tacca  pinnatifida, 
and  also  of  a  very  singular  plant,  Sciaphila  of  the  order  Triaridacece, 
found  on  the  summit  of  the  hills  at  Undine  Bay,  Efat^. 

Among  the  orders  of  Monocotyledonous  plants,  the  Orchidece,  already 
spoken  of,  are  probably  the  most  interesting  and  attractive  to  the  lovers 
of  flowers.  From  their  number  and  variety  they  form  an  important 
constitutentof  the  flora  of  the  New  Hebrides,  and  while  all  are  interesting 
there  are  among  them  not  a  few  that  would  please  the  most  fastidious 
taste.  As  a  foliage  plant,  a  species  of  Anocetochilus,  with  velvety  leaves 
of  a  rich  deep  green  veined  with  silver,  common  on  the  hills  of  Aneityum, 
could  not  be  surpassed.  The  Liliacea  do  not  appear  to  be  plentiful,  but 
the  species  of  Cordyline  or  Dracaena  are  interesting  as  foliage  or  scenic 
plants,  while  a  species  of  Dianella  reminds  us  of  similar  ones  in  Southern 
Australia.  The  Pandanacece  are  represented  by  the  Pandanus  or  screw- 
pines,  large  plants  of  striking  appearance,  with  aerial  roots  and  massive 
globular  fruits,  and  the  climbing  Freycinetia,  which  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  was  frequently  seen,  but  only  in  flower  on  the  summit  of  Traitors' 
Head.  The  PaltncE  surpass  all  these,  however,  in  stateliness  and  elegance, 
the  cocoanut  palm  being  cultivated  everywhere  for  the  copra  or  dried 
kernel  of  its  nuts,  and  with  other  species  enhancing  the  beauty  of  the 
landscape  in  all  situations. 

Cryptogamic  plants  are  abundant  on  the  islands,  the  humid  climate 
everywhere  prevailing  being  favourable  to  their  growth  and  propagation. 
The  Ferns  are  very  numerous,  and  particularly  so  on  the  southern  side 
of  Aneityum,  on  the  hills  and  up  the  valley  of  the  River  Inweililikei, 
where  the  climate  appears  to  be  wetter  than  ordinary ;  and  a  great  variety 


APPENDIX  463 

of  interesting  forms  may  be  procured,  from  the  tiny  filmy  sorts  to  the  tall 
and  graceful  tree  ferns.  Specimens  may  be  found  of  the  genera  Schizasa, 
Lygodium,  Todea,  Trichomanes,  Vittaria,  Davallia,  Pteris,  Cheilanthes, 
Acrostichum,  Angiopteris,  Antrophyum,  Adiantum,  Asplenium,  Polypo- 
dium  and  others,  some  represented  by  a  number  of  species.  The  Lyco- 
fodiacecc  found  include  two  species  of  Lycopodium,  Psilotum  hanging 
from  the  trunks  of  trees,  Tmesipteris  tannensis,  so  named  from  having 
been  first  found  on  Tanna,  and  a  Selagenilla  as  plentiful  as  bracken  in 
the  shady  woods.  Miisci  and  HepaticcB  are  plentiful ;  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  Fungi,  especially  of  the  Polyporus  family.  The  presence 
of  the  order  Eqnisetacece,  or  Horse-tails,  on  the  islands  is  of  special 
interest  to  Australians,  from  the  remarkable  fact  of  their  entire  absence 
from  Australia.  A  species  of  Equisetum  grows  luxuriantly  in  the  beds 
of  the  creeks  near  the  coast  on  Aneityum  ;  and  it  is  strange  that  while 
so  many  of  the  indigenous  plants  on  these  islands  are  common  to  them 
and  the  eastern  coast  of  Australia,  no  representative  of  this  particular 
family  should  ever  yet  have  been  found  on  our  island  continent. 


2.  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER 

In  Several  Languages  of  the  New  Hebrides  Group  of  Islands. 

Aneityum. 

Ak  Etmama  an  nohatag,  Etmu  itap  nidam.  Etmu  yetpam  nelcau 
unyum.  Uhmu  imiaiji  intas  unyum  an  nobohtan,  et  idivaig  an  nohotag. 
Alaama  aiek  nitai  caig  incama  an  nadiat  inig.  Um  jim  aru  tah  nedo 
has  unyima  aiek,  et  idivaig  ecra  eti  aru  tah  nedo  has  u  atimi  vai  cama 
aijama.  Um  jim  atau  irama  an  nedo  oop  aiek,  jam  imiatamaig  cama  va 
niji  itai  has.  Et  idim  unyum  aiek  nelcau,  im  nemda,  im  natimi  alupas 
irai  iji  mesese.     Emen. 

FUTUNA. 

Tamanomea  i  ragi,  katapu  tiou  eigoa.  Ahmai  tiou  avaka  tagata. 
Kapena  tiou  akaniani  i  takere  nei  feipe  i  ragi.  Tufa  akimea  iranei  anea 
kai  ehtaurufie  iei.  Koina  tanori  i  apenanesa  omea  feipe  akimea  kohkoina 
tanori  ma  fakau  nopenanesa  iakimea.  Koina  tiarafia  kimea  ki  akauliginea 
norehresia  kimea.  Kaie  kaumata  kina  kimea  i  asa.  Niou  tavaka  tagata, 
ma  tatamotua,  ma  tiatata,  inapugi  manapugi.     Emen, 

Tanna. — {Kwamera  and  Port  Resolution  Districts.) 

Rememaha  ya  neai,  na'  gam  ikinan,  pa  entata  seim  ruvehe,  pa  havahi 
nokvvam  ya  tuprana  rosi  ya  neai,  tik  aveipehe  navegenien  sanemaha  ipet. 


464  APPENDIX 

tik  apa  narupunien  tafaga  rereha  sakemaha  rosi  kemaha  yahapuk  arapun 
u'ma  tafaga  reraha  nermania  harno  ya  kennha,  tik  apa  niripenien  kemaha 
te  nefeifeiien,  mavahiraka  kemaha  te  nerahaien,  seim  entata,  nesekaiien 
mene,  namasanien  ya  narimnarime  pam  mene  j'a  nuk  nukeme.     Amen. 

Tanna. — (Lenakil  District.) 

Remimar  le  neai,  Netigam  terausim,"Neremerean  Taham  terua,  Nakei- 
keian  Taham  terol  moma  le  neai  ne  le  ten.  Ofa  towe  nar  tiakarkin  towe. 
Mosita  netetan  temar  an  imarosita  netetan  te  ierem  ramomukin  kamar. 
Tenesiran  kamar  to  nofenofenan,  mero  osmiuh  kamar  to  ieremitat.  Merc 
Neremerean  Taham  an  nesanenan  an  netig  asul  le  noanu  min.     Amen. 

Aniwa. 

Tamanomi  taragi,  Teigo  tapu.  Tshou  tavaka  komy.  Tshou  afasao 
erefVa  acre  infanua  wararoni  fakarogona  hepe  i  taragi.  Tufwa  acime 
iranei  tshome  akai  o  nopogi  ma  nopogi.  Touwaki  nori  maganisa  tshome, 
hepe  acime  touwaki  nori  o  maganisa  o  tagata  iacime.  Natshicina  arafia 
acime  ia  teretu  o  maganisa,  kaia  kapare  acime  ia  ana  isa  iotshi ;  ma  tshou 
tavaka,  ma  tomatua,  ma  nokabisa,  tau  ma  tau.     Emen. 

Erromanga. 

Itemen  e  kam  unpokop,  eti  tumpora  nin  sorum.  Elum  lo  sorum. 
Eti  numpi  taru  su  sorum  ra  nemap  sugku  unpokop.  Ovug  kam  ire  nevag 
nisekomam.  Mefiellntug  kam  sat  su  soremam,  sugku  ka  kem  lafielinto- 
konda  mori  umnumpi  sat  iramam.  Metutoro  kam  ran  tapmi  ko  eforwug 
kam  marugi  sat  su,  it  16  Im  horog,  im  nilasilaswi  sorum,  uvum  nevi  su 
indowi.     Amen, 

Efate. 

Temagami  O  uane  ku  toko  elagi,  Nagiema  iga  tab.  Namerameian 
anago  iga  mai.  Ruga  bati  te  uane  ku  mesau  na  emeromina,  bakauli  uan 
ru  toko  bat  ia  elagi.  Ba  tua  gami  nafinaga  nag  i  uia  ki  gami  maisa  ua 
naga.  Go  ba  manigami  rati  lu  nafolofolon  sa  anigami  ban,  i  taosi  uan 
kinami  au  mer  magi  tea  folofolo  sa  ki  gami  rati  lu  nigara  ban.  Go  ba  ti 
belaki  gami  baki  nasurusuruen  mau,  me  ba  fulua  gami  ki  te  uane  i  sa. 
Anago  namerameran,  go  nakasuan,  go  nasemanien,  i  tu  tu  bo  tu  mautu. 
Amen. 

Nguna. 

Mamaginami,  waina  ku  doko  nakoroatelagi  doko.  Nagisafna  ega  tapu 
Namaraklana  anigo  ega  umai.  Namasauana  anigo  ega  vei  tea  mariana 
maramana,  ega  tapala  waina  e  pei   tea  mariana  nakoroatelagi.     Pa  tua 


APPENDIX  465 

gami  masoso  navinaga  seara  waina  e  pia  ki  gami.  Go  pa  maginami 
midoakikorokoro  naleo  maga  waina  e  one  gami  one  egatapala  waina 
kinami  ma  au  po  magi  lea  maga  waina  naleo  aginami  e  one  ara  one, 
au  po  madeada  midoakikorokoro  e.  Go  pa  ta  piragi  gami  paki  nalawo 
surueana  mau,  ma  pa  vua  lua  gami  ki  tea  sa.  Nalakena  anigo  namara- 
kiana,  go  nakasuaana,  go  nasamasamana,  pa  pa  ega  tu  po  du  mau  du. 
Amen. 

ToNGOA  (South), 
And  the  neighbouring  small  islands  of  Tongariki,  Makur,  Mataso,  etc, 

Popo  aniceme  arae  ko  doko  na  rikitilagi  doko,  na  kihaxa  qa  taka  tam'. 
Na  marakeane  xaine  qa  arah' ;  na  masauneane  xaine  ru  woh'  varamane 
qa  hiniki  ri  noko  qoh'  na  rikitilagi  :  ko  ori  iceme  mesa  na  \inaga  arae  i 
hiniki  na  qog'.  Ne  ko  miniceme  betog'  elu  na  le  abane  arae  i  doko  iceme 
i  doko  qa  hiniki  arae  keiceme  xo  miniare  abane  na  le  aniceme  i  doko 
inire  i  doko,  xo  miniare  betog'  elu.  Ne  te  ko  qa  wat'  iceme  do  na 
meridogieane,  ne  ko  kaolu  iceme  taka  taha.     Amen. 

Epi. — (Nikaura  District.) 

Arimamemi  rage  pa  teke  e  peni,  kiaumiki  e  ki  wa.  Kiaufna  raurarena 
imi.  Naonenoniena  kiauma  a  tapa  yemarava,  e  slpa  rage  pa  a  tapa 
mava  epeni.  O  la  ani  memi  pani  nakinaniena  kamemi.  A  o  la  lua 
piowata  kiamemi  e  slpa  rage  pa  memi  me  pure  lua  piowata  rage  pa  eririna 
lala  topena  a  utapa  ani  memi.  O  pe  ure  memi  pene  nakokaniena  ana 
o  ure  lua  memi  me  pa  tani  na  piowa.     Amen. 

Malekula. — (Aulna  District.) 

Tita  tahamintil,  u  tok  re  nemav  mor.  Nahsem  ti  bembui.  Batih 
venua  tahegko  ti  pene.  U  mucia  nesah  aho  u  ndamuceni  re  nevenua 
efetil,  lahasi  re  nemav  mor.  U  leve  sak  amintil  abakal  nahamintil  mil 
gcan  ia  abakal.  U  rumbasi  tuacani  nesah  umui  tahamintil  lahasi  mil 
rumbasi  tuacani  nesah  umui  ta  asamagk  ho  ara  mucia  nesah  umui  ahane 
amintil.  U  metohsi  amintil  mil  se  mucia  nesah  umui,  u  leve  gculi 
amintil  entene  amuko  umui.  Batih  venua  tahegko,  Egko  u  mucia 
meserakan  ia.     Egko  u  mesilimbar,  bu  vagi  tui.     Amen, 

Malekula. — (Pangkumu  District.) 

Ta  sa  nemdi  mo  tok  ra  namarin.  Nacis  sam  bi  kon.  Batin  venu  sam 
bi  vine.  Bo  uase  macoran  sam  ra  fenu  tin  apan  fere  ra  mamarin  macat. 
Bu  revi  bi  jici  nemdi  ramuge  Natinca  nemdi  daba  hani  ramuge.  Bu 
revi  tocini  nier  mi  jij  sa  nemdi,  fere  nemdi  dama  revi  tocini  nier  mi  jij 
sa  haris  ra  uase  nier  mi  jij  hini  nemdi.     Bo  jege  nemdi  dama  se.uase 


466  APPENDIX 

re  jitic  mi  jij,  bu  revi  gcuri  nemdi  reni  jitic  mi  jij.     Ca  batin  venu  hisam 
ca  hau  mo  pas  rukure,  ca  hau  mo  fanfanare  vec  aig  tue.     Amen. 

Malekula. — (Uripiv.) 

Tata  se  kem,  ku  lik  rage  melerin.  Nisem  on.  Batun  vanu  som  pi 
vini.  Kupu  loli  kem  ga  nama  lik  gatan,  namba  loli  nanu  ga  nik  ku 
marog,  pi  repi  kami  kama  loli  rege  melerin  mari.  Kup  elai  nanin  tevi 
kem  leligan,  namb  ani.  Kup  etelasi  tueni  nanu  ga  mi  sij  kem  nama  loli, 
pi  repi  kem  nama  telasi  tueni  nanu  ga  mi  sij  ga  mara  loli.  Kup  ejigi 
kem  sete  namba  loli  nanu  ga  mi  sij.  Kup  ereve  tueni  kem  sete  namba 
loli  nanu  ga  mi  sij.  Batun  vanu  som.  Nanu  ga  mo  su  gok  nanu  som. 
Pu  to  tui  gok  vini.     Amen. 

Malekula. — {South  West  Bay.) 

Timinoa  anagcite,  nanotok  lameligk.  Niciana  nunk  velawavv,  Nemu- 
cut  tivi  vetla  anagcite.  Inden  kohoga  tagen  tabiah,  man  iah  inden 
kohoga  tagen  lameligk.  Kubilip  naaien  tigkisah  bita  kite  kisah.  Tiah 
nohobo  pelowas  nesamp  spelovei  kite,  sesam  kuspelovei  mucut  tiah  nohobo 
pelowas  ahankite  kupsu  wrahvei  nohobo  nabiah  pelowas.  Kulibuagcite 
tel  nohobo  pelowas  :  kuvi  betla  nagatiga  kili  dagcalen  kubiah  gin  retewaw 
tue  sahasah.     Amen. 

Ambrim. 

Timianem,  co  om  ru  orcomeri.  Ham  i  bokon.  O  me  lia  viri  tave. 
O  hahara  vantin  tave  ralia  drolom  ran  tan  mewini  ge  co  ramru  orcomeri. 
O  higani  mile  meni  cenem  lonle  biali  ran  wobug  tave.  O  herocro  cenem 
hanem  sisi  mehakabe  mewini  maherocro  vantin  sinan  ha  sisi  mehakabe 
meni  cenem.  Sincha  on  halin  cenem  vani  ot  ne  halcoro.  O  haiku 
cenem  nani  co  tolou.  Tiban,  sisi  tave  ham  ;  om  yah  ;  om  mutin  ;  om  ru 
mato  mato.     Amen. 

Malo. 

Tamamam  a  na  tukailagi  Aulu  ;  isam  tabu  ;  ava  nom  tamata  a  mai ; 
ava  kamam  ka  rogouosai  nom  sorai  a  tano,  a  socen  mede  a  na  tukailagi 
Aulu.  O  sile  te  camam  cinau  barede.  O  lai  tacai  cinasate  tele  kamam, 
a  socen  kamam  ka  lai  tacai  cinasate  tele  tamaloci  tenabu.  O  coro  kamam 
ka  te  loli  cinasate,  o  metaci  kamam  ka  ducu.  Verama  nom,  cinasuica 
nom,  cinauosai  nom,  tauntari,  tauntari.     Amen. 

Santo. — (Tangoa.) 

Tamamam  na  tu^a,  kitsam  i  tabu  ;  nom  tamata  i  nai  ;  i  la  thaii  nanasalo 
nom  na  verama  iseiso,  sokena,  la  le  thaii  na  tu^a.     O  sile  kanam  te  kamam 


APPENDIX  467 

nao  nokoriki.  O  supu  komo  kanam  na  nonam  g-ina  sati,  sokena,  kana 
supu  komo  na  tamloci,  la  thatha  g'lm  kanam  me  sati,  nora  g\mo.  O  supu 
rebe  kanam  than  isara  la  guruguru  kanam  tsea.  O  la  nareki  kanam  isana 
me  sesati.  Ko  suika  tsea,  Ko  ruku  tsea,  nom  tamata  i  toko  tauni  i  tari. 
Amen. 

Santo. — (Nogugu.) 

Temamam  ta  totok  me  ne  tolon,  mwertae  kisem  merua.  Mwertae  ro 
nom  sac  simae.  Mwertae  ro  toua  me  ne  lepa  ao  sokoi  ni  taroia,  sokon 
ro  toua  me  ne  tolon.  Ko  lapi  emam  sinaka  sopsopwea.  Mo  ko  veti 
melum  suri  rire  te  ao  nakavera  mei  emam.  Ko  korkoro  emam  me  ne 
warei  kin  nakavera,  mo  korkoro  emam  me  ne  nakavera.  Suri  niko  Moli 
mo  maronim  ae,  mo  oom  ae,  va  van  roprop.     Amen. 


By  GEORGE  ADAM  SMITH,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

The 

Historical  Geography 
of  the  Holy  Land 

Seventh  Edition.    With  Scripture  Index  and  Six  Colored 
Maps,  specially  prepared.     8vo,  cloth,  730  pages,  $4.50 


...  No  one  work  has  ever  before  embodied  all  this  variety  of  material 
to  illustrate  the  whole  subject.  His  geographical  statements  are  pen-pictures. 
We  are  made  to  see  the  scene.  No  important  problem  is  untouched.  With- 
out question  it  will  take  its  place  at  once  as  a  standard  work,  indispensable  to 
the  thoroughgoing  student  of  the  Bible.  —  Sunday-School  Times. 

.  .  .  An  exhaustive  collection  of  material  lay  outside  the  plan  of  the  author. 
His  intention  is  rather  to  show  how  the  history  of  the  land  is  conditioned  by 
its  physical  structure.  It  is  thus  the  idea  of  Karl  Ritter  which  rules  the  treat- 
ment and  presentation.  Very  comprehensive  sections  are  concerned,  not  with 
the  history,  but  with  the  nature  of  the  land.  .  .  .  The  author  pays  special 
attention  to  the  military  operations.  One  could  sometimes  imagine  that  an 
officer  is  writing,  who,  above  all,  regards  the  land  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
military  strategist.  In  this  connection  especially  the  history  of  Israel  in  its 
chief  crises  in  Old  Testament  times  receives  striking  illumination.  Large  pas- 
sages are  frequently  quoted  from  the  Old  Testament  in  order  to  explain  them 
by  the  exhibition  of  their  ffeographica!  background.  In  addition  the  author 
has  a  special  gift  of  vivid  rqiresentation.  He  makes  the  history  transact  itself 
before  the  eye  of  the  reader  in  dramatic  form.  One  sees,  everywhere,  that  the 
landscapes  whicli  he  describes  stand  before  his  own  eyes.  Thus  the  book  is 
an  extremely  valuable  means  of  aid  to  the  understanding  of  the  history,  espe- 
cially of  the  Old  Testament.  —  Prof.  SchUrer,  of  Kiel,  in  the  Thsol.  Litera- 
iur-Zeitung. 

The  book  is  too  rich  to  summarize.  .  .  .  The  language  is  particularly  weU 
chosen.  Few  pages  are  without  some  telling  phrase  happily  constructed  to 
attract  attention  and  hold  the  memory,  and  we  often  feel  that  the  w/ealth  o< 
imagery  would  be  excessive  for  prose  were  it  not  that  it  is  chosen  with  such 
appropriateness  and  scientific  truth.  ...  To  the  reader  much  of  the  pleasure 
of  perusing  the  volume  comes  from  its  luxurious  typography,  and  the  exquisite 
series  of  orographical  maps  prepared  by  Mr.  Bartholomew  from  the  work  of 
the  Survey.  These  maps  alone  are  more  suggestive  and  enlightening  than 
many  treatises,  and  they  are  destined,  we  trust,  to  enliven  many  a  sermon,  and 
turn  the  monotony  of  the  records  of  Israelitish  wars  into  a  thrilling  romince.  — 
Speaker. 


A.  C.  ARMSTRONG  &  SON 

3  and  5  W.  I8th  Street,  New  York 


By  GEORGE  ADAM  SMITH,  P.P.,  LL.D. 

The  Book  of  Isaiah 

In  Two  Volumes.     Crown  8vo,  cloth,  $1.50  each. 
Volume  I.    Chapters  I.— XXXIX. 
Volume  II.    Chapters  XL. — LXVI. 

This  is  a  noble  volume  of  a  noble  series.  Isaiah  will  ever  be  the  cream  of 
the  Old  Testament  evangelistic  prophecy,  and  as  the  ages  go  on  will  supply 
seed-thought  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  grow  into  flowers  and  fruits,  vines 
and  trees,  of  divine  truth  for  the  refreshment  and  nourishment  of  the  intellect, 
heart,  character,  and  life.  H(yiv  can  any  pastor  or  instructor  of  the  public, 
young  or  old,  afford  to  be  without  such  aids  ?  —  Baltimore  Methodist. 

Prof.  George  Adam  Smith  has  such  a  mastery  of  the  scholarship  of  his 
subject  that  it  would  be  a  sheer  impertinence  for  most  scholars,  even  though 
tolerable  Hebraists,  to  criticise  his  translations  ;  and  certainly  it  is  not  the 
intention  of  the  present  reviewer  to  attempt  anything  of  the  kind,  to  do  which 
he  is  absolutely  incompetent.  All  we  desire  is  to  let  English  readers  know 
how  very  lucid,  .impressive  —  and,  indeed,  how  vivid  —  a  study  of  Isai^  is 
within  their  reach  ;  the  fault  of  the  book,  if  it  has  a  fault,  being  rather  that  k 
finds  too  many  points  of  connection  between  Isaiah  and  our  modern  world, 
than  that  it  finds  too  few.  In  other  words,  no  one  can  say  that  the  book  is 
not  full  of  life.  —  Spectator. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  say  how  highly  we  appreciate  the  work,  or  how 
Mseful  we  believe  it  will  be.  —  Church  Bells. 

He  writes  with  great  rhetorical  power,  and  brings  out  into  vivid  reality  the 
historical  position  of  his  author.  —  Saturday  Review. 

Mr.  Smith  gives  us  models  of  expositions;  expositions  for  cultivated  con- 
gregations, no  doubt,  but  still  expositions  which  may  have  been  largely 
preached  in  church.  They  are  full  of  matter,  and  show  careful  scholarship 
throughout.  We  can  think  of  no  commentary  on  Isaiah  from  which  the 
preacher  will  obtain  scholarly  and  trustworthy  suggestions  for  his  sermons  so 
rapidly  and  so  pleasantly  as  from  this.  —  Record. 

The  Book  of  the  Twclvc  Prophcts 

COMMONLY  CALLED  THE  MINOR 

In  Two  Volumes.     Crown  8vo,  cloth,  $1.50  each. 

Vol.  I. —  Amos,  Hosea  and  Micah.     Seventh  Edition. 

Vol.  II. —  Zepkaniah,   Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Obadiah, 

Haggai,  Zechariah  I.  —  VIII.,  "  Malachi,"  Joel, 

'Zechariah"  IX. — XIV.,  AND  Jonah.  Fourth  Edition. 

In  Dr.  Smith's  volumes  we  have  much  more  than  a  popular  exposition  of 
the  minor  Prophets.  We  have  that  which  will  satisfy  the  scholar  and  the  stu- 
dent quite  as  much  as  the  person  who  reads  for  pleasure  and  for  edification. 
...  if  the  minor  Prophets  do  not  become  popular  reading  it  is  not  because 
anything  more  can  be  done  to  make  them  attractive.  Dr.  Smith's  volumes 
present  this  part  of  Scripture  in  what  is  at  once  the  most  attractive  and  the 
most  profitable  form.  —  Dr.  Marcus  Dods,  in  the  British  Weekly. 

Few  interpreters  of  the  Old  Testament  to-day  rank  higher  than  George 
Adam  Smith.  He  is  at  home  in  criticism,  in  geographical  and  archaological 
questions,  and  in  philology.  .  .  .  Hardly  any  commentator  of  the  present  day 
is  more  successful  than  he  in  putting  the  student  at  once  into  the  heart  of  an 
Old  Testament  problem.  —  S.  S.  Times. 

The  above  four  volumes  are  contained  in  "  The 
Expositor's  mble."  find  are  stibject  to  special  sub- 
scription rates  in  connection  tvith  'that  series. 
Descriptive  circular  on  apjAication. 

A.  C  ARMSTRONG  &  SON 

3  and  5  "W.  J  8th  Street,  New  York 


A    REMARKABLE    BOOK   BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


laih  Thousand.      i2mo  Cloth,  $1.50. 

IMAGO  CHRISTI :    The  Example  of  Jesus   Christ 

By  KcT.  JAMES  STALKER,  D.D., 

Author  of^'The  Life  0/ Jesus  Christ,"  *^The  Life  0/  Si.  r'aul," 
"  The  Preacher  and  His  Models^'  etc. 

"Each  of  the  sixteen  chapters  are  brief;  all  are  packed  with  matter;  tht 
book  IS  one  of  the  most  suggestive  and  striking  of  the  many  books  inspired  hy  tha 
unique  character  of  Christ." — Neju  York  Evangelist. 

"  The  life  of  Jesus  has  been  studied  through  the  centuries  and  will  be  studied 
throngh  all  time.  It  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  books  of  its  class  we  have  ever 
seen.'  — Pittsburg  Christian  Advocate. 

"  The  style  is  clear  and  forcible.  The  comprehensiveness  and  definiteness  of 
the  treatise  are  excellent.  The  work  is  one  of  the  best  for  helping  earnest 
believers  in  Christ  to  see  how  to  realize  the  divine  ideal  in  their  daily  career." 
— I^'eiu  York  Observer. 

Chicago /I a'7/<T«c^  says  :  "  This  book  is  sure  to  have  a  wide  circulation.  It  is 
a  thoroughly  readable  book.  This  topical  method  of  treating  the  subject  has  sn 
advantage  which  will  be  warmly  appreciated.  It  will  be  proved  a  specially  useful 
book  in  connection  with  the  study  of  the  Life  of  Christ  and  in  the  Sunday-school 
Lessons  for  the  year." 

Presbyterian  Review,  January,  1890:  "Dr.  Stalker  has  brought  fresh  treas- 
ures out  of  a  field  that  has  often  been  explored,  but  not  in  his  method.  The 
volume  is  interesting  as  well  as  instructive.  The  author  thinks  clearly  and  writes 
lucidly.  The  book  is  a  worthy  companion  to  the  impassioned  devotion  of  Thomas 
a  Kempis." 

Rev.  Dr.  McCOSH  says  ;  "  It  is  a  most  precious  book,  full  of  practical 
■wisdom  and  tenderness,  fitted  to  quicken  and  nourish  the  spiritual  life  in  »he 
soul." 

ENGLISH   NOTICES. 

"It  Is  the  finest  piece  of  devotional  literature  the  Church  has  received  for 
many  a  year.  The  freshness  of  thought,  lucidity  of  style,  reverence  of  spirit,  and 
direct  practical  tone  will  make  it  prized  as  a  book  for  quiet  hours." — Christian 
Leader, 

"  The  study  of  the  methods  and  matter  of  Christ's  teaching,  which  he  has 
continued  from  his  Li/e  of  Christy  is  even  fresher  aod  better  than  any  thing  in 
that  brilliant  little  book." — Scots  Observer. 

"His  previous  books  on  the  Life  of  Christ  and  the  Life  of  St.  Paul  have 
had  8  great  vogue  here  and  abroad.  But  this  is  a  greater  book  than  either,  and 
fitted  to  exercise  a  still  wider  influence.  We  need  not  dwell  on  the  many-sided 
culture  manifested  everj'-where,  or  the  author's  remarkable  literary  gifts,  shown 
especially  in  pregnant  aphorisms  and  vivid  descriptions.  His  thoughts  are  always 
arranged  and  expressed  with  exquisite  order  and  lucidity,  and  he  throws  an  occa- 
sional plummet  marvelously  far  into  the  depths  of  his  subject.  But  the  power 
and  beauty  and  life  of  the  work  mainly  come  from  this,  that  the  author  has  been 
in  living  contact  with  Christ  and  man." — British  Weekly. 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  speak  of  Dr.  Stalker's  book  without  exaggeration,  and  we 
are  not  surprised  that  some  of  our  contemporaries  have  pronounced  it  superior  to 
VCk.  Life  of  Christ.  A  more  suggestive  book  for  the  Christian  teacher  we  have 
not  read  for  years.  It  abounds  in  new  and  true  ideas,  always  clearly,  often  strik- 
ingly expressed." — Methodist  Recorder. 

"This  work  supplies  a  real  desideratum  in  theological  literature.  Dividing 
the  circle  of  hiiman  life  into  segments,  each  of  which  represents  an  extensive 
sphere  of  experience  and  duty,  the  author  follows  our  Lord  through  them  one 
after  another,  and  shows  us  how  he  conducted  himself  in  each.  The  pages  are 
beacori  lights,  guiding  us  in  our  life's  journey  ;  and  no  one  can  peruse  them  with- 
out  being  profoundly  impressed  with  the  wealth  of  the  gospels  in  counsels  of  per. 
fection  as  to  human  conduct." — Christian. 

Copies  sent  by  mail,  post-^aid,  or  "'ceipt  of  pric«. 

A.  C.  ARMSTRONG  &  SON,  New  York. 


4  Years  of  Toil   and  Adventure   in   Africa. 


ALEXANDER  MACKAY  OF  UGANDA. 

A  LIFE.     By  his  Sister,  with  Portrait  and  Colored 
Map,  nearly  500  pages.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 


MR.  H.  M.  STANLEY  SAYS; 

"  It  would  have  cured  br^  writer  and  hero  of  all  moping  to  have  seen  the  man- 
ner of  MACK  AY'S  LIFE.  He  had  no  time  to  fret  and  groan  and  weep,  and  God 
knows  if  ever  a  man  had  reason  ta  think  of  'graves  and  worms  and  oblivion,'  and  to 
be  doleful  and  lonely  and  sa(S,  Mackay  had,  when,  after  murdering  his  BISHOP 
(HANNINGION)  and  burning  his  pupils  and  strangling  his  converts  and  clubbing 

to  death  his  dark  friends,  Mwanga  turned  his  eye  of  death  on  him TO  MY 

GREAT   GRIEF,   I    LEARN   THAT   MACKAY,  THE    IJEST   MISSIONARY 
SINCE  LIVINGSTONE,  IS  DEAD  I" 

"  Mrs.  Harrison  (his  sister)  has  suffered  the  story,  for  the  most  part,  to  tell  itself 
in  the  letters  and  journals  of  the  dead.  But  these  are  arranged  with  the  deft  grace  of 
a  woman's  fingers,  and  the  image  before  one  as  the  book  is  closed  witnesses  to  her 
success.  The  picture  shines  and  lives.  This  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  inspiring  o( 
missionary  biographies." — British  Weekly, 

"It  is  a  volumeof  intense  and  romantic  interest.  A  man  who  could  tramp  through 
African  jungles  when  he  was  reduced  to  a  skeleton  by  sickness  ;  who  could  transpoit 
a  small  steamer  from  the  coast  to  the  shores  of  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza  and  could  put  it 
together  again  after  it  was  wrecked  in  a  gale  ;  and  who  could  manage  the  barbarous 
King  Mwanga  with  such  consummate  tact,  was  no  ordinary  character." — Rgv.  Dr. 
Theodore  L.  Ctiyler. 

"  Mackav's  career  contaitied  more  that  would  stimulate  voung  men  to  self- 
sacrificing  lives  than  that  of  any  missionary  of  our  day." — The  Nation. 

"  It  is  a  wondrous  storv,  and  Mackav's  name  is  one  of  those  which  we  are  sure 
the  Church  will  not  willingly  let  die." — Presbyterian. 

"  The  moral  courage  of  the  man  as  shown  in  many  instances  is  as  thrilling  as  it 
is  wonderful." — Boston  Advertiser. 

"  The  book  is  one  of  great  inte>-est,  and  it  is  especially  refreshing  to  turn  from  th« 
revolting  disclosures  about  the  '  Rear  Guard  '  to  this  other  story  of  a  life  in  Central 
Africa— pure,  heroic,  and  saintly." — Lutheran  Quarterly. 

"  This  volume  contains  a  worthy  ."•e'^ord  of  a  brave  man's  life  consecrated  to  pur- 
poses entirely  unworldly.  He  has  been  called  the  '  St.  Paul  of  Uganda.'  This  praise 
of  him,  if  rather  unhappy  in  the  use  of  terms,  was  intended  to  signify  none  too  mucll. 
Mackav's  devotion,  in  all  its  essentials,  was  altogether  apostolic  in  character."— JV 
Y.  Times. 

'■  The  slory  of  his  life  is  so  grand  a  one  that  we  wish  it  could  be  read  by  -^very 
youag  man  connected  with  our  Christian  churches  a'  home." — Lite'-ary  World. 

Copies  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price 

A.  C.  ARMSTRONG  &  SON, 

IVevr  York. 


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